


Take my hand

by Katyakora



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, coldflash (background), goldenvibe (background), killerwave, meta!Caitlin, meta!Mick
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-05-10 10:11:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 22,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5581735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katyakora/pseuds/Katyakora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Don’t worry, they drag us out when they want to do their little tests.” His tone was far from comforting, his voice an ominous rumble. She felt him lean forward, his presence invading her space and his hot breath stroked her cold face.</p>
<p>“And when they do, you will be begging to be tossed back in the dark.”</p>
<p>Caitlin finds herself captive and changed at the hands of a ruthless scientist. She finds an unlikely ally in her cellmate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Contains mentions of medical procedures as torture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place post-Running to a Standstill

Caitlin woke feeling like a glacier inside a raging inferno. Exquisite warmth was seeping into her frozen muscles and bones, an impossible sensation that soothed her very core. The heat radiated around her in pulsing waves, like a steady heartbeat. Drowsy and content, Caitlin was happy to sit and bask in the warmth that should have burnt.

She should be burning.

That thought thrust her mind into full consciousness. Awareness brought sudden clarity to the information her senses provided. The was a sense of coolness at her core, every inhale dragging arctic air into her lungs. Every joint felt stiff, every scrap of inch of her skin had a tightness to it. The delicious heat enveloping her was indeed radiating with a pulse, a perfect match to the steady heartbeat that thudded next to her ear. The warmth encompassed her the source had her secured in it’s lap, one muscular arm cradling her to a chest that may as well have been a furnace. Hot, even breaths ruffled her hair like a gentle desert breeze, carrying the scent of smoke and a hint of gasoline.

She should be burning because the last thing she remembered was an explosion.

She panicked, scrambling away from the unknown physical contact. Doing so meant leaving the heat, the cold eager to replace it. A chill spread through her being, it’s presence somehow both very wrong yet strangely comforting. She didn’t get more than three feet away before she was jerked to a sudden halt by her left hand. Only now, when she looked to see what had her trapped, did she notice the complete and utter darkness.

“L-let go of me!” she demanded. Her voice was shaky but the command still came out strong.  
“I can’t,” was the simple, curt reply. The voice was low and rough, clearly masculine and thankfully familiar.  
“Heatwave?”  
“Snow.”  
“Let go of me!” she repeated, the command delivered with distinctly more venom. Heatwave growled out a low noise of irritation.  
“I told you. I can’t.” Their joined hands jerked up and down, as though he were attempting to gesticulate. “Why don’t you let go? See how that works out for ya.”

She ignored his annoyance in favour of actually doing as he suggested. Her wrist flexed as she willed her locked fingers to unclench. Her hand refused to co-operate. Her hand might as well have been encased in solid plastic.

“I...can’t.” The only response to her admittance was a low grunt. Curious, she brought her right hand to her left wrist. Fingers exploring gently in the dark, she surmised her first guess couldn’t be far from the truth. Just above her wrist she encountered a thick, hard substance that encased their firmly clasped hands. Her skin had felt oddly chilled under her fingers, which was strange as her left hand was the only part of her that currently felt even close to warm. In the course of her examination, she brushed against skin that almost burned her cold fingers. Both of them flinched, jerking the bond between them.

“What are you doing?” Heatwave growled. She huffed, annoyed by his instant suspicion. If anyone got to be suspicious, it should be her.  
“I am trying to figure out what the hell kind of handcuff this is.” She squinted, trying and failing to see through the sheer darkness. “Where are we, anyway?”

“They tossed us back in my cell.” Caitlin shivered, recalling the short glimpse she’d received of the conditions in this place. The memories made her skin crawl. Worse was the memory of Dr Baker and the pride in his voice as he gave her the tour. Panic once again bubbled in her chest.

“How long have you been here?” The was a minute pull on her hand for a second, and she guessed he had shrugged before realising the futility of it.  
“Not sure. First few days, they turned the lights on when I guess it was daytime. Counted at least thirteen days before they stopped bothering to fix ‘em.”  
“Fix them? What’s wrong with the lights?”  
“Kept exploding.”  
“Why?”  
“How the fuck would I know?” She could practically hear the glare in his voice. “Been a little too distracted being a fucking guinea pig for these sadists to examine the goddamn wiring.” Caitlin flinched in the face of his tirade, glad he couldn’t see her weakness.  
“I’m sorry,” she hissed, letting her own frustration show through. “I’m just trying to figure this out!”  
“What’s to figure out? We’re stuck here. At least until your buddy, the Flash, finds you.”  
“Stuck in here. In the dark?”  
“Don’t worry, they drag us out when they want to do their little tests.” His tone was far from comforting, his voice an ominous rumble. She felt him lean forward, his presence invading her space and his hot breath stroked her cold face.

“And when they do, you will be begging to be tossed back in the dark.”


	2. Let me go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caitlin remembers what led her here and learns whats in store.

Caitlin Snow had been surprised but flattered when she was approached to consult on research regarding metahumans. At the time, it had seemed like an incredible opportunity, especially in regards to how it might help Team Flash’s understanding of metahumans. She arrived, perfectly punctual, at a well-respected research facility for her initial interview, which she’d been assured was a formality.

A warning bell sounded, though tiny and barely audible, when upon arrival she was directed to a car that would take her to a secondary research facility. The location was undisclosed, apparently due to the sensitive and highly classified nature of the research. Caitlin felt a little uneasy, but complied. As a scientist, she was familiar with the industry’s need to protect intellectual property and defend against sabotage. The warning bell sounded again, much louder, when they insisted on relieving her of any electronic devices on arrival.

Initially, the facility had seemed standard, even if she didn’t particularly approve of their use of animals in trials. The director and her guide, Dr Baker, waxed poetic about the vast potential metahumans held for the human race, if only their abilities could be understood and harnessed. That would have been encouraging, if his speech hadn’t reminded her of similar ones given by the man she’d known as Harrison Wells.

And then she asked about the explicit nature of his research. It turned out that Dr Baker was attempting to manufacture metahumans. He had wanted her assistance due to her experience with the particle accelerator.

She had listened, frozen in horror, as he described their earlier tests on animals and their more recent human trials. Though there had been some success, most had become unstable and deteriorated. He had hope for their current subject, who had lasted the longest, but even he was rapidly destabilizing. When she asked where on earth he had found volunteers, Dr Baker had grinned and said they were doing society a favour, taking wanted criminals off the street.

He took her silence as awe, oblivious to her panic and revulsion. He gestured to the laboratory beyond an observation window. The lab was walled with complex machines and equipment, attended by a pair of lab technicians who scurried back and forth carrying out checks and adjusting dials. In the centre was an ominous dentist’s chair on a raised platform. Wires and hoses from various machines were attached to it and it was generously adorned with sturdy restraints.

Just then, the test subject was dragged in. A gasp of shock escaped her. She recognised him.

Mick Rory. Heatwave.

He looked rough, stripped down to nothing but a pair of plain white boxer shorts. His head and jaw were thick with untended stubble and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in weeks. His head lolled back and forth on his neck, clearly drugged, but despite that his eyes still burned with that familiar intensity. His skin glowed with strange plays of light, like flickering embers just beneath the surface.

He frowned when his eyes managed to lock onto the glass, his full lips forming a single word.

Snow.

“Do you know this subject?” Dr Baker asked, finally showing concern for her opinion.  
“He kidnapped me once.” She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene, her own mechanical reply sounding muffled and far away. In the lab, Heatwave finally showed some life, flinching and snarling as various machines were attached to him and tubes shoved under his skin.

“What are you doing to him?” she demanded in a shocked whisper.  
“Don’t worry, Dr Snow, you are quite safe,” he assured her, clearly misinterpreting her concern. “The subject has undergone five of our experimental procedures, with some promising results. We are hoping that today’s procedure will be a step towards stabilizing the internal chemical reactions.”

Beyond the glass, Heatwave began to writhe and struggle against his restraints, his mouth open to release an animalistic howl of agony.

“You have to stop this!”she begged, her heart a deafening drum in her ears.  
“There’s nothing to fear, Dr Snow, he can’t break free. Even if he does-”

Caitlin snapped. Her brain was blank save for a roar of sensory input and the all-consuming need to stop what was happening. She didn’t think, mindlessly sprinting into the lab and reaching the chair before anyone could react. Her hands clawed at the restraints and wires, managing to get his left arm free just as the security team reached her. Multiple hands clamped down on her, trying to drag her away. Blindly, she reached out, trying to find a handhold.

Fire gripped her hand tight just as several thousand volts were pushed into her body by a torn wire. Something bright sparked in Heatwave’s eyes as she convulsed and that is when everything exploded.

 

* * *

 

Caitlin was once again in a lab. It was different to the one that had exploded, larger and more reminiscent of a medical bay. There was still an observation window and a central raised platform, but no chair. Instead the platform had three low horizontal bars. She’d learned on arrival that the outer bars were for cuffing their feet and the inner bar for cuffing their hands.

The set-up forced them into a kneeling position that felt sickeningly like a bow and she could not stop shaking in fear.

The hiss of gas had been the only warning before they were dragged out of the darkness. As some unknown gas filled the cell, Heatwave became groggy and listless, although Caitlin simply felt as though the air was too thin. After several minutes, the door was opened, burning her retinas with influx of white light. Before she could adjust she was being cuffed and an injection forced into her neck, strange hands dragging her into the light.

Their bound hands made walking awkward and Mick could barely stand anyway. The orderlies simply opted to drag them down to the lab.

It was there that Caitlin first saw how they were bound. The substance looked almost like obsidian, but the texture wasn’t quite right. It was as she examined the unknown substance that she noticed the frost on her skin. Her clothes had been replaced while she was unconscious by a white crop top and shorts, so she could see the frost covered every inch of her skin, making her appear impossibly pale with the slightest tinge of blue.

She felt confused, powerless and miserably exposed.

Initially, a series of basic measurements and medical tests were taken. Soon the tests became more and more invasive until every touch promised agony. Every sound she made was ignored. She begged, reasoned, demanded and cajoled, all to the response of stone-faced silence. She could have been a particularly grumpy lab-rat for all they reacted. The scientists spoke only to each other or to demand she move or hold still a part of her body. She quickly learned it was not worth refusing.

Despite her fear and pain, the scientist within her did not cease to observe. Every scrap of information she could glean from their tests and the displays in her eyeline was absorbed and analysed. She learned that her body temperature and heart-rate were so low she should be either dead or in a coma. She learned that her metabolism and body chemistry had shifted severely to compensate. She learned that the scientists hadn’t been the ones to bind them with the unknown substance. In fact, they had no idea what it was, how it got there or how to remove it.

Eventually, Dr Baker walked into the lab. He sighed dramatically at the sight of her.

“I’m disappointed in you, Dr Snow.” Like she was a pet that had pissed on the carpet. “I had such high hopes for what you could help us accomplish.”

“I will never help you!” she hissed. He just chuckled.

“Oh, but you already are. Not in the way I had hoped, but…” he shrugged, “waste not, want not.”

“This is illegal! This is inhumane! You can’t do this to us!”

“Your naivety is unbecoming of a woman of science.” Her indignant retort was cut off by a large needle piercing her spine, forcing her to shriek in pain. Agony clouded her senses, making it impossible to tell how long she spent crying and screaming. Eventually, a low rumbling sound managed to seep through the haze.

A continuous litany of slurred yet eloquent promises of violence fell from Heatwave’s lips. Her mind eagerly latched onto the distraction, bringing her cellmate into laser-focus. His bright eyes had locked a brutal glare onto Dr Baker, every threat directed at him. As the constant growl of retribution anchored her, she realised that, despite their history, Heatwave was her only ally in this place.

She knew, without a doubt, that she needed him if she was going to survive this slice of Hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pacing is a bit clunky and I'm not sure about my characterisation, but I wanted to post this for new years.  
> Happy New Year Flash fandom :)


	3. Reach out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversations in the dark

Once again, she woke in the dark, enveloped by heat. Blessedly free of pain, she nuzzled sleepily into the furnace only to be startled awake by a throat clearing next to her ear.

“Oh, sorry!” she stammered, leaning away from his chest. “It’s just...you’re really warm.”

“You’re cold.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Hastily, she slipped out of his lap, forced to sit next to him to accommodate their strange cuff. She was careful to put as much air between them as was comfortable.

“It’s OK,” he said with a huff. There couldn’t have been more than a foot of space between them, yet the familiar chill was already settling in her bones. “It’s nice,” he added after a moment. “Never thought I would actually miss the cold.”

“Oh.” She could still feel the heat radiating off him, enough to tease but not to keep the cold at bay. Tentatively, she scooted closer. Their shoulders touched, a silent invitation for contact. He took it, raising his right arm to wrap it around her shoulders and press her closer to his side. She sighed involuntarily at the heavenly heat he provided, the only balm to the perpetual chill in her blood. They sat together in silence for what felt like hours.

Time passed strangely in the dark. The only true indicators she had that it was passing at all was the sound of Heatwave’s steady breathing next to her. Caitlin found herself immeasurably grateful that she wasn’t here alone. Even if the company was an unstable pyromaniac turned metahuman. 

“You’re very calm about all this.” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but now she had, conversation felt preferable to silent boredom.

“I’m not.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“When I get out of here, I will spend days burning off pieces of them at a time until all that is left is a half-roasted torso.” The statement was made in a calm, even tone. It was the kind of threat she expected from someone like the calculated Captain Cold, not the volatile Heatwave.

“Oh.”

“It’s the drugs. They pump it through the vents, ‘cause the shots never lasted long. Don’t know what, but I can’t…” He trailed off, sounding uncomfortable and lost.

“Are the drugs why you’re not glowing?”  
“What?”

“You were kind of glowing, when I first saw you in here.” She remembered her thought from that day and figured he’d appreciate the imagery. “It looked kinda like embers under your skin.” A low, satisfied hum of agreement filled his chest at the thought.

“Yeah, it was like embers, wasn’t it?” She could hear the smile in his voice. “That started a couple days after their damn experiments. That’s when the lights started to go, too. I didn’t care, ‘cause it was never really dark. It only stopped after you got here.” He sounded a little like he was pouting now, apparently missing the fiery lights under his skin.

“Sorry.” She seemed to be saying that a lot.

“It’s OK.” She felt his shoulders lift in a shrug. “It’s been...better, since you got here.” She stayed silent, unsure if a response was warranted. After a few long breaths, he elaborated. “Before... what they did...I thought I was gonna die. Every second, it was like I was about to explode out of my skin. Maybe that’s what the glow was...” He trailed off, his mood clearly darkening at memory of helplessly waiting for death.

“I wish I could see,” Caitlin admitted with a sigh after a couple of minutes. “Given a little time and observation, I might get some clue as to what they did to us.”

“Does it matter? The Flash’ll come for you, I’ll turn this hellhole into ash and then we can forget this shit ever happened.”

“You’re conveniently forgetting the part where we are literally fused together with unknown metahuman abilities.”

“Whats unknown? I make shit hot, you make shit cold.” She rolled her eyes.

“That’s about as accurate as saying the Flash is superfast. There are so many factors and nuances to his powers that we are still discovering more!”

“Is one of them the reason he wears that ridiculous leather suit?”

“The suit is made from a unique tri-polymer blend to be frictionless, fireproof and cold-resistant. It is not a fashion choice, trust me.” She paused, suddenly hit with a pang of helplessness at odds with their idle banter. She felt her eyes moisten. “God, what I would give to see that stupid red suit right now. Where is he? It’s been at least two days!” Her body shuddered as she suppressed a sob.

“Hey, calm down.” Heatwave’s voice was surprisingly soft, the once intimidating timbre now soothing. “Where’s the little spitfire who refused to back down when I threatened to burn her, huh?” His hand gently rubbed her arm in a calming motion. The absurdity of his statement and attempt at comfort pulled a watery chuckle from her throat. She brushed away the tears that had frozen on her lower eyelid.

“That girl wasn’t scared because she was too busy being angry.”

“So get angry.” His voice had dropped into an even lower, serious tone. “Don’t give them the satisfaction of your fear. That just gives them more power. You’re a lot like Len, Snow. When he’s angry, he puts it all into a wall and you don’t see it ‘til he slams it down on you. If you wanna survive, you need to get angry. Take everything they do to you, every drop of fear you feel and make it another brick in your wall. Keep building it until you get the chance to slam the full force of it down on all of them.”

Caitlin took a deep breath, feeling the fear thick in her throat. She was terrified of the horrors that awaited them beyond their cell. But now that it had been said, the memory of her kidnapping was fresh in her mind. She remembered the burning, indignant anger she had felt that they would dare to use her friendship to get to Barry. She remembered how her panic and fear had just been fuel to that fire. It seemed maybe Heatwave had a good point, although it made her wonder what kind of life he’d had that would give him that kind of insight into coping mechanisms. She exhaled slowly.

“Thanks. That was... surprisingly motivational.” She felt him shrug again.

“Len gives good speeches. I’ve heard enough of ‘em, bound to pick something up.” 

“Hey, Heatwave? You can call me Caitlin, if you want.”

“Mick. I’d shake your hand, but...” He lifted their joined hands helplessly. She laughed, a short, choked sound, but it was real and it felt good. Things couldn’t be so bad if she could still laugh in this place.

* * *

The third time they got dragged out of their cell, the scientists attempted to break their bond. That was far more painful than anyone had anticipated. It should have been impossible for them to have developed nerves within the unknown substance, but apparently they had. Every attempt the scientists made was met with twin cries of pain and, ultimately, failure. After several hours of attempts, the disappointed scientists returned to their usual rounds of experimentation. Today, their tests were focused on Mick.

She had noticed after their conversations in the dark that she had begun to think of him differently. He ceased to be Heatwave, immoral criminal and enemy of the Flash. Now he was just Mick, her sole ally and surprising source of comfort. She didn’t think she could call him a friend, not yet. He was being constantly drugged to keep him docile and manageable, and she had no idea how much of the man she was beginning to trust truly existed beyond their cell. She liked to believe she was seeing the man beneath the fire, but she was honest enough to admit that was only a hope. 

She would only know for sure once they left this wretched place.

He may have been more docile, but the fire was still there, simmering beneath the surface. He reminded her of how some trees, when struck by lightning, could burn internally for hours, completely undetected until they lit up the surrounding forest in a blaze. As she watched him howl in pain, tears freezing on her cheeks, a small part of her was looking forward to the day he brought this place down in flames.

His seemingly endless threats and curses were a constant presence in the labs. It hadn’t failed to bring her distraction and comfort. Today, he was the one locked in agony, and she felt it was only fair that she attempt to return the favour. When his tirade was interrupted by a howl of pain, she picked up where he left off. Lacking both his fiery imagination and extensive practice, she offered instead facts and imagery. Such as the exact temperature at which the fluid in an eyeball would boil and intricate descriptions of exactly what the body went through as a person burnt alive. It was the strangest lesson in human endurance she had ever given, but it seemed to help.

When the tests gave him a reprieve, he met her eyes with a bloody-mouthed grin. It was the first time she had seen any of the technicians look at all unsettled.

 

This time, it was Mick who woke in Caitlin’s arms. They had been tossed back into the dark after he lost consciousness. It had taken some awkward maneuvering to get into a comfortable position, but she managed to prop them up in the corner so both backs were to the wall, her legs perpendicular above his and his head tucked gently against her collarbone. He’d mentioned he missed the cold before, so she was fairly certain he wouldn’t mind her shamelessly leeching his heat while he slept.Turnabout was fair play, after all.

Unconsciously, her right hand began idly petting his head, the fuzzy stubble oddly soothing beneath her fingers. She hummed a half remembered song beneath her breath and let her cheek rest against his crown. The gesture felt incredibly intimate, but it was an intimacy she chose. Their close quarters and shared trauma had forged an unexpected camaraderie and, if nothing else, she knew that when all was said and done, she would always care about the life of Mick Rory.

He didn’t pull away when he woke. The slow, gentle cadence of his breathing shifted into a deep inhale and she felt the flex of muscle beneath her as he got more comfortable.

“You smell like snow,” he mumbled sleepily into her collarbone. His warm breath tickled her skin and she suppressed a shiver.

“I should hope so. It would be a little awkward if I smelled like anybody else.” It was a terrible joke, but he chuckled deeply anyway. “Besides, I’m not even sure I can sweat anymore.” She felt the minute shift of muscle as his eyebrows were drawn down in a frown. It reminded her of how little they were both wearing. It added another layer to the intimacy of their position. She’d intended the position to be one of comfort, and as long as Mick accepted that for what it was, she deliberately chose not to dwell on it.

“They hosed me down the first few days. Stopped after the glowing started.” She wrinkled her nose, thinking.

“You don’t smell bad. Mostly like smoke and steam. It’s quite likely that the extreme heat your body produces kills any of the bacteria that would cause body odour. Also, any moisture your body might produce probably just evaporates off as steam.”

“Huh. Guess that explains what happened when I tried to take a piss.”

“Steam?”

“Like a tea kettle. Was surprised it didn’t whistle.” She laughed. It seemed Mick had a dry, sarcastic sense of humour that she liked. Her laugh trailed off as something occurred to her.

“I haven’t needed to use the bathroom since I got here.” She estimated that to be around three to four days, but there was no way to be sure.

“Haven’t eaten, either,” Mick added with a hint of concern. When their food was shoved through a slot in the wall, Caitlin had always given her share to him. She found that she simply wasn’t hungry, and with the amount of heat Mick produced, his metabolism likely needed the extra fuel.

“My metabolism has probably slowed to a crawl,” she reassured him. “I’ll get hungry eventually, but my body won’t starve in the meantime.”

“Good. You’re better company than a corpse.”

“Such high praise. I’ll try not to let it go to my head,” she deadpanned. He chuckled again, making her smile softly. She didn’t think she was very funny, but apparently Mick liked her sense of humour too.

“You figure out anything else about what they’re doing to us?” he asked. Caitlin was happy to go into detail about her observations and theories. Science was comfortable and familiar territory that she had sorely missed. Mick seemed happy enough to be a sounding board for her ideas, occasionally asking surprisingly well-thought questions.

They sat talking for hour, neither caring to move nor comment on their comfortable position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song she hums is Arsonist's Lullaby, added mostly because its been playing on repeat while I write. We have a lot more interacting between Mick and Caitlin, hopefully building their new dynamic.


	4. Hold on tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes and opportunity knocks

Days passed, all following the same pattern as they others. Caitlin could only assume that they were taken out for experiments every day, having no other way of gauging how much time had passed. Each night they slept curled against each other, recovering from that day’s horrors. Physical contact between them became thoughtless, an unconscious behaviour shift brought on by their close quarters and the instinct to provide and receive comfort. Once they woke, they would talk for hours, the only thing they could really do, learning more about each other than either of them had expected to share.

 

They wiled away the hours swapping childhood tales. Caitlin shared anecdotes of ill-advised college shenanigans (of which there were few). Mick regaled her with tales of his more thrilling heists (of which there were many, all involving at least one fire). Eventually, a light-hearted comment about how much he would have liked her husband led to her opening up about Ronnie. That pain was old and familiar, a wound that could now be called a scar, but she found it was something that she needed to share with him. In return, he opened up to her about the night his family died. It had been cathartic to bare their scars and humbling for Caitlin, that he trusted her enough to share this.

 

Caitlin knew for certain she would miss him when this was over.

 

Always when, never if. Even in the privacy of her own mind. Barry was coming for her, and she would not allow herself to doubt it.

 

One day, the routine changed.

 

Today when they were dragged from their cell, instead of the usual injection, bulky black collars were locked around their necks. Their guards then proceeded to drag them in the opposite direction to usual. Caitlin pushed all her dread and apprehension into a glaring scowl, feeling oddly reassured by the solidarity of Mick’s angry growls.

 

Their destination appeared to be some kind of retrofitted gymnasium. The larger section of the room had been padded with thick mats and had multiple dummies set up to be targets. A smaller section of the room, attached to the entrance, was filled with computers and monitoring equipment that had Caitlin missing Cisco keenly. The two sections were separated by a thick transparent wall with a single door to allow access. Caitlin had the absurd thought that that room was a serious fire hazard, forcing her to suppress a hysterical giggle.

 

The fused pair were marched into the large section, guards still gripping them tightly as the lab technicians attached various monitoring straps to their bodies. Finally, two decidedly nervous looking scientists gave them synchronised injections just below their collars. The instant it was administered, everyone beat a hasty retreat behind the safety glass. Within seconds, Mick looked more alert than she had ever seen him in this place and the flickering had returned to his skin. Caitlin was too distracted by the winter in her veins to notice much more than that. 

 

She had been cold since she’d woken up here. The only warmth she had felt was in Mick’s touch as he leeched the cold from her flesh. However, her new body was designed for the cold, and eventually it had felt normal. But now each breath was a blizzard gale in her chest and her heart might as well have been pumping liquid nitrogen. A sheer layer of ice blossomed across her skin, beginning at the injection point to spread out over her body. Cracks sounded with every move she made, a flurry of ice chips falling to her feet.

 

Whatever they’d given her wasn’t designed to repress her abilities, but exacerbate them. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a few locks of hair that had turned white and she was uncannily aware of every heat source around her. She was winter made flesh and the only part of her that still felt human was her left hand, clasped as it was by the contained inferno next to her.

 

Mick was chuckling happily as she finally collected herself enough to focus on him. He was staring in rapt fascination at the flames dancing at his fingertips. Fire was flickering across his whole body and Caitlin was starkly reminded of Firestorm. However, the similarity ended with the fire. Where Ronnie had been reluctant to use his abilities, Mick wholeheartedly embraced it. His eyes were not the white eyes of a ghost but the familiar, gleaming blue eyes that had burned into her soul long before they were bound in this place.

 

They had spent so long in the dark or in a haze of pain that this was her first chance to really look at him. She could see he’d lost weight but not muscle-mass, his metabolism likely burning up any excess for fuel. The parts of his skin that weren’t on fire had a shine to them, like newly healed skin. Even the his burns scars looked faded, far further healed than they should have been.

 

She was jolted from her examination when he raised his arm and sent a burst of heat at one of the dummies. It exploded into flame and he practically radiated with joy.

 

“You look like a kid in a candy shop.” He turned to her, his face split in a gleeful grin.

 

“And you look like a statue.” He gestured grandly at the arranged targets. “Come on, Snowflake, give it a shot. I’ll bet you can shoot icicles or something.” Her face went blank, and she turned her gaze to the partition, where scientists were in a flurry of motion taking notes from displays and analysing data. In the centre was Dr Baker, a sickeningly smug look on his face.

 

“It’s what they want.” Even her voice was cold. Mick just shrugged, apparently unconcerned.

 

“Practice is practice.” The meaning behind the innocuous phrase was obvious. They needed to know what they were capable of. Any advantage they could get against their captors was vital. If she was careful, she might even be able to conceal the full force of her powers. She tilted her head in acquiescence and raised her right hand.

 

The blizzard inside her was bursting to be release. All it took was a small mental shove and a cone of cold erupted forth, forming ice spikes in it’s path. Her target dummy froze solid then exploded from the force of the ice forming within. She felt a rush at the glorious release of pressure.

 

“That’s it!” Mick cheered. “Let’s see what else we got.” They continued to experiment with their new abilities, although Caitlin was always careful to pull her metaphorical punches. It was a relief to finally stretch out and Caitlin found she was actually having fun. Until Dr Baker decided they’d learned enough from watching them play and it was time to get down to business.

 

“All right, enough fun and games.” His voice barked loudly from speakers in the ceiling. “Dr Snow, I want you to lower the temperature in the room as much as you physically can.” 

 

Caitlin ignored him, looking to Mick instead. He was no longer the docile, drugged shadow of a man she had tried to free. Now, he burned bright in every way, once more the volatile beast that she remembered. She should not have been as happy to see that as she was, but in her eyes it was like he’d been half dead all this time and had only now come alive.

 

Those bright, burning eyes studied her, reading more in her blank expression than anyone else ever had.

 

“If you’re ready to push the boundaries, Snowflake, I’m with ya,” he whispered. She gave him a wicked smile and turned back to face Dr Baker.

 

“No.” Her response was sharp and decisive, but Dr Baker just looked at her like a misbehaving puppy. 

 

“I’ll give you ten seconds to comply.” When she refused to budge, he sighed dramatically. “The hard way it is.”

 

Caitlin screamed as her collar sent electricity racing through her, dimly aware of Mick’s shout of rage as she convulsed. Hot fingers snatched at her collar in a desperate attempt to rip it off, only to be snatched back as his own collar activated. They both fell to the ground, twitching and howling as their powers went haywire. In seconds there was not a single surface that wasn’t scorched or iced, and the fluctuating hot and cold pressure had rain clouds forming just below the ceiling.

 

Finally, the shocks ceased.

 

“Each of those collars were specifically designed with your unique physiology in mind. You can either comply, or you can continue to provide us with valuable data on your involuntary defense responses. Your choice.” Dr Baker smirked at them from behind the partition. Caitlin had never truly hated anyone so much in her life.

 

With a deep, calming breath, she began leeching the heat out of her surroundings. Dr Baker grinned in satisfaction as the temperature dropped rapidly. Chunks of ice were forming all over her body when Mick’s hot hand tentatively gripped her shoulder.

 

“You OK?” he rasped. Caitlin nodded, her face deceptively calm. She had to fight not to get distracted by the glorious rush of heat she got at the contact.

 

“When I say, heat my collar has hot as you possibly can,” she whispered.

 

“That’ll hurt  _ you, _ ” he stated, his unhappiness at the thought clear on his face. She nodded.

 

“Do it. Now.” Mick didn’t question her further.

 

Without warning, he gripped the icy metal ring and brought the heat. The intensity of it hurt more than she’d anticipated, but this place had given her a tolerance for pain. Dimly, Caitlin was aware of panicked shouting behind the partition and her collar reactivated, but it was too late. Her collar was designed for extreme cold and the sudden temperature shift was all it took to crack the casing and melt the insides. The electricity sparked and sputtered out just as Mick spasmed from the shock of his own collar.

 

Caitlin wasted no time freezing his collar until it shattered. Behind the partition, the scientists were panicking and the security team came rushing in. Mick grinned ferally as he stood, the flames on his body rising in height and intensity as he ripped the monitoring bands from their bodies. Caitlin set about super-cooling the transparent wall they were locked behind.

 

“Look at them scurry,” Mick purred from just behind her. Frost had thickened on the partition, it wouldn’t be long before it shattered.

 

“You have some promises to keep,” she reminded him grimly.

 

“That I do.” Their eyes met and his grin dimmed into a look of uncertainty. “You might want to close your eyes for a while.”

 

“No.” She met his concerned gaze with defiance, radiating strength and cold fury.  _ “I want to watch this place burn.” _

 

At her words his expression shifted into something she could only describe as utterly helpless devotion. For a moment, she was sure he was going to kiss her. For that moment, she wanted him to.

  
In that moment, the wall shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have a cliff-hanger.
> 
> Originally the Flash and Captain Cold were going to show up now, but I decided that Mick and Caitlin needed a chance to unleash.


	5. Leading the blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mick and Caitlin unleash and the crew in Central City finally catch a break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for P.O.V shift courtesy of our friends at STAR labs. Also I'm a bit nervous about this one, hopefully I've developed the characters enough that it makes sense in the context if the story.

Later, Caitlin would recall Mick’s unbridled roar, the strangest mix of rage and jubilation. She remembered sending a wave of intense cold out ahead of them, slowing and freezing all in their path for Mick to tear through. She would never forget the distinctive scent of burning flesh. But she could not recall a single face, save for that of Dr Baker. He had begged, pleaded and demanded mercy as her ice had engulfed his body, freezing him to the floor as the walls surrounding them began to burn. She remembered embracing the cold, numb at her core, as they walked away, leaving him to burn alive. She would never forget the feel of Mick’s arm around her as they stood outside watching the facility disappear into a towering blaze. Much later, Mick would tell her how she had trembled, limp in his arms as she kept whispering that they were free, as though she had to force herself to believe it.

 

It was dark, clearly nighttime, and soon their pillar of smoke and flame attracted the distant sound of sirens. That sound snapped her back to the reality of their situation. She looked up at him, once more composed for the sake of survival.

 

“We need a car. And a phone.”

 

In less than two minutes, Mick was able to break into a car and hotwire it. Driving proved to be tricky, but they managed with Mick at the wheel and Caitlin working the gearshift. After driving for several minutes, they found that the place where they’d been held was on the outskirts of a little township a few miles from Central City. They pulled up at the first service station they saw, which was empty save for the cashier due to the late hour. Considering they were barely dressed, covered in soot and frost and in a stolen car with no money, this was a good thing. The cashier certainly didn’t know what to think when they walked in.

 

“Hi there!” Caitlin greeted him brightly, a sweet smile on her face that made her feel slightly mad. “ Could we please use your phone? Its an emergency.” Mick was a silent shadow behind her, subjecting the innocent cashier to a glare that was likely the only reason the trembling teenager handed his phone over. “Thank you.” Caitlin paused as she went to pick it up, electing instead to warm her hand a little on Mick’s arm first. The phone would be useless if she accidently froze it. She sincerely hoped the cashier didn’t have a panic button, because if the look on his face was any indication, he’d probably already pressed it. Quickly, she dialed the STAR labs direct line.

* * *

  


“Barry. Barry! Goddamnit, WAKE UP!”

 

Barry fell out of his chair in a mess of limbs as the shout startled him awake. He’d fallen asleep in the cortex again. In the chair next to his, Leonard Snart was groaning and rubbing his eyes, already awoken by the commotion.

 

“Wha, whas goin’ on, Cisco?” Barry managed to ask as he got up off the floor. Cisco was practically vibrating with excitement.

 

“Facial rec just got a hit! Caitlin AND Rory!” He tapped the keyboard in front of them, bringing up the footage from a grainy service station security camera. Both suddenly very awake, Barry and Len’s eyes zeroed in on the blurry yet recognisable figures of their friends.

 

“Where?” Len demanded.

 

“Tempsville, a small town on the way to Coast City,” Cisco answered. In a flash, Barry was gone. On the screen, Caitlin had a phone in her hand. Seconds later, the lab’s landline rang and Cisco dived for the handset.

 

“Caitlin!”

 

“Cisco!” Her reply was loud enough even Len could hear it. He watched as the Caitlin on the screen began shaking and a clearly concerned Mick pulled her into a one-armed hug. Len’s eyebrows rose in surprise at the protective gesture. That was unexpected.

 

“It’s gonna be OK, Barry’s already on his way.” Cisco was reassuring her down the phone. “We literally just got your location thanks to Felicity’s software.” He let out a long, shaky sigh, his entire being radiating relief that his friend was alive and now safe. “Damnit, Cait, where the hell have you been?!”

 

On the screen, Len saw the Flash appear in a blur. Even under the mask, he could see the way Barry’s face lit up at the sight of Caitlin. Joy is something that has been sadly missing in Barry’s life lately. For the last two weeks he had been running himself ragged searching for Caitlin. Ten days ago he had run into Captain Cold and Golden Glider who were on their own hunt. The two groups had been initially suspicious about the others intentions, but agreed to work side by side as long as their investigations were on the same path. When Len had recognised the license plate of Caitlin’s car near where Mick went missing, both parties agreed the disappearances were linked, and began co-operating in earnest.  

 

It had been eye-opening and a little humbling to be working at Barry’s side. After a month of just himself and Lisa searching, it had been a little overwhelming just knowing he had help now. Despite the way they fought and the number of times Len had insisted they were done, Mick was his best friend and one of the few people he trusted. To know that the Flash and his team were, at least in part, looking for Mick too, filled Len with a gratitude he would never express.

 

Barry had thrown himself into the search with renewed vigour, barely sleeping. He lost count of the amount of times he’d seen Team Flash remind the kid to eat or demand he get at least an hour’s sleep before heading out again. Over the last week, Len and Lisa had found themselves doing it too. The kid was no use if he collapsed from exhaustion, and had an uncanny ability to elicit a protective instinct in everyone he met. The dynamic shift hadn’t gone unnoticed either. There had been a noticeable reduction in the hostility towards the Rogues and an increase in respect on both sides.

 

Cisco ended the phone call so Caitlin could talk to Barry. He moved to watch the video feed over Len’s shoulder as Barry move forward, clearly going in to hug Caitlin. Surprisingly, she flinched back, ducking behind Mick’s intimidating figure, her mouth moving rapidly as she babbled something. There was an oddness to the way she and Mick moved, their bodies positioned as though-

 

“Are they handcuffed?” Cisco asked, his fingers tapping at his phone as he sent the others the good news.

 

“Not quite,” Len answered in disbelief, “I think they’re _holding hands?_ ” It made no sense, yet now Caitlin was  gesturing to their clasped limbs as she talked at a dumbfounded Barry. After a minute he was nodding at her, gesturing for them to follow him out of the gas station. Next to Len, Cisco lightly smacked himself in the forehead with a muttered ‘duh!’ and moved to switch on the Flash suit’s comm unit.

 

“Talk to us, dude, what’s goin’ on?”

 

“I can’t carry them back so they’re gonna have to drive. I’m just going to run and grab them some clothes, they should be back at the labs in less than an hour.”

 

“Why can’t you run them back?” Len interjected. Barry sighed heavily.

 

“I’ll explain when I get back. Let’s just say the crazy isn’t over yet.”

 

A minute later, Barry flashed back to the labs, looking troubled. He began to explain what little Caitlin had told him, and Lisa and the rest of Team Flash arrived just in time to hear Cisco’s reaction.

 

“So, let me get this straight: Caitlin and Heatwave escaped from the lair of the mad scientist who gave them powers, Heatwave’s skin is hot enough to burn, Caitlin’s is cold enough to give insta-frostbite, and to top it all off they are _literally fused together_?”

 

The others announced their arrival with various exclamations of disbelief. Lisa immediately moved to stand beside Cisco, a position now so familiar to Len it was barely worth noting. Barry shrugged, looking resigned.

 

“That’s about the gist of it. They can probably explain things better when they get here.”

 

“You said fused. As in, Firestorm-fused?” Iris asked.

 

“No, it’s more like their hands got glued together somehow. I don’t know much more than that.”

 

“The important thing is that they got out in one piece,” Len stated. “Now, we don’t know what was done to them, but I can guess it wasn’t exactly pleasant.”

 

“Can confirm: Kidnapping, totally not cool.” Cisco shut up at Len’s glare.

 

“My point,” Len continued with emphasis, making sure they were all listening. “Is that until we have an idea of what went down, it would be best if we attempted to be as sensitive about the subject as possible.” He may have been looking somewhat pointedly at Cisco. "I can't speak for Dr Snow, but I'm sure you're aware of how volatile Mick can be."

  
“Of course,” The engineer rolled his eyes. “We’re not completely insensitive dicks.” He paused, apparently rethinking. “You should probably be the one to talk to Mick though. Just to be safe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that a hint of goldenvibe I see?


	6. Pulling back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At long last, they find their way home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for tearful reunions and more P.O.V changes!

Caitlin hesitated at the entrance to STAR labs. She knew that her friends were inside waiting for her, no doubt excited and relieved to see her alive and in one piece. She also knew that the woman about to walk in there was not the woman they knew. She had been changed in that place, and not just physically. She had learned the absolute limits of her endurance and what she was truly capable of when backed into a corner. She knew she should be terrified and guilt-ridden, but right now the events of that night simply left her cold, a state that had become her new normal. Perhaps the guilt would come when she allowed herself to stop and think about what she’d done. But she had done it, none the less, something Caitlin knew she would never have even contemplated before, and she had no idea how her friends might react to the change that place had brought in her.

 

How Jay might react. It startled her to realise she hadn’t thought of him once during her ordeal. When not occupied by panic or pain, her thoughts had been focused on Barry coming for her or focused on Mick. The man himself was peering at her over her shoulder, confused over why she’d stopped. It was her friends they were here to see, after all.

 

“Everything all right?” She gave him a weak attempt at a smile, knowing it wasn’t even slightly convincing.

 

“I’m fine, Mick. It’s just…they’ll mean well but they won’t understand.” She didn’t elaborate on what, not entirely sure herself. He folded her against him in a familiar one-armed embrace that never failed to make her feel cared for and protected.

 

“Maybe not. But if they care, they’ll at least try to understand. And if shit gets too much, you just say the word and we’re gone.” She looked up at him, reassured and grateful.

 

“You too, you know.” Her tone was soft, but serious and her hand came up to cup his jaw. “We’re about to walk into a lab full of scientists. For me, I’m coming home, but for you...I know that my friends would never intentionally hurt you. But if it gets too much, say the word and we’re gone.” His answering smile was sweet and tentative, as though she’d given him something he wasn’t sure he was allowed to have.

 

“Thank you.” His whisper was reverent and barely audible. 

 

“You know, I’m really glad you’re here.” Her voice was equally soft.

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” She thought she might have felt a phantom pressure on her left hand, as though he had tightened his locked grip ever so slightly. “Even if I could.” She smiled and ducked her head, overwhelmed by the charged emotion between them. Mick gestured grandly towards the waiting entrance. “Shall we honour them with our presence then?” Caitlin couldn’t help but laugh softly at his antics. She had been afraid of how he might change outside of their imprisonment and although it was clear that all the drugs had been thoroughly burnt out of his system, so far the important things remained. He still had that dry sense of humour that never failed to get her giggling and he still knew exactly what to say to keep her anchored. He still cared about her, openly and unselfconsciously. 

 

“I suppose we should,” she answered indulgently, suddenly feeling buoyed and carefree. “Cisco’s probably pacing a trench into the floor as we speak.” She took the lead, guiding him through the entrance and over to the elevator. “Oh, and Mick? Try not to burn anybody?” Her request was honestly apologetic, surprising herself. “As much as they can get on my nerves, I do genuinely like these people.” Mick actually pouted.

 

“Fine. I promise not to burn any  _ people. _ ” She arched an eyebrow at him, but allowed the loophole. She could easily douse any fire he started, after all.

* * *

 

The young engineer was indeed pacing when they entered the room Caitlin had called the cortex. Although quite spacious, it felt cramped due to the amount of people currently occupying it. In addition to the rest of Flash’s team, strangers he knew only through Caitlin’s stories, Mick was surprised to see the Snarts standing among them as though they belonged.

 

“Oh my god, it’s really you, you’re really OK!” Cisco exclaimed, making an aborted motion to hug Caitlin before remembering the warning Caitlin had given the Flash to pass on. 

 

“Yeah, Cisco, it’s really me.” Caitlin had her hand at her mouth, looking as though she was trying not to cry. Len stepped forward.

 

“It’s good to see you, Mick.” There was more sincerity in his voice than anyone else would have thought him capable of. To the surprise of everyone, he then shoved his parka and gloves at Cisco. “Hug her, then give them back.” Trust Len to make an incredibly thoughtful gesture into an order. Cisco didn’t waste time arguing.

 

“Shoulda known we wouldn’t be rid of you that easily,” Lisa drawled, words at odds with the genuine relief in her face and her moist eyes. Mick chuckled, unable to hold back his grin. Next to him, Caitlin and Cisco were lost in a tearful hug, the rest of Team Flash congregating around them and giving the Rogues the illusion of being ignored.

 

“And here I thought you actually missed me.”  Because honest emotions only happened between them dressed as sardonic glibness. 

 

“Of course I did. For a while there I thought I might actually have to learn how to cook!”

 

“She actually tried, too. Cisco thought she was trying to poison him.”

 

“Jerk.”

 

“Trainwreck.” The siblings’ bickering washed over him like a familiar blanket, filling him with a sense of home he hadn’t expected to find here. The Snarts were comfortable here, enough to be themselves, and Mick had an inkling as to why.

 

“No need to get pissy, Lisa, you’ll find a new excuse to hang around your boytoy,” Mick drawled. 

 

“Nice to see you haven’t lost your charming personality,” Len observed, his familiar smirk back in place. He looked haggard, they all did, like none of them had really slept properly in weeks. They probably hadn’t. It was heartwarming to see so many people dedicated to keeping Caitlin safe and it was good to be reminded that at least two people in this world cared if he lived or died.

 

“Glad I’m good for more than just my cooking skills.”

 

Mick kept half an eye on Caitlin as everyone talked, making sure she wasn’t overwhelmed by the attention. She seemed happy and relaxed, tears of joy crystallized under her eyes. He had no idea what she’d been afraid of. Her posture had lost the perpetual tension she’d carried in that place. Whatever they’d given them at the end had worn off, her skin once more dusted with just a light layer of frost that glittered under the lights. She was smiling, a rich curve to her blue-tinged lips that was so much more vibrant than he’d imagined it would be back in the dark of their cell. It was different to the wicked smile she’d given him in the gym, which had held a dark edge to it, like a promise.

  
It was nothing like the look she’d given him before they made their escape. When she stood strong and unbreakable and told him she wanted to watch it all burn. She may have been made of ice but there had been fire in her eyes, cold but brighter and more alive than any he'd ever seen. She’d looked so beautiful and impossible as his heart stuttered at her words. He could have engulfed the world in an inferno and she would have stood at its centre, untouched by the flame as he left nothing but ash in their wake. They were opposites in every way and yet she wanted to share the fire with him. He had known, looking down into those cold, furious eyes that he was hers now, utterly and completely. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mick's P.O.V is fun, frustrating and terrifying to write.


	7. Walk with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang have questions, no one said they had to like the answers

With the tearful reunion out of the way, the bespectacled scientist Caitlin had called Harry suggested they get checked over for injury or illness. Mick had tensed at the sight of the medical bay Caitlin led him to, but forced himself to relax. He trusted Caitlin and she trusted her friends. They weren’t in that place anymore and he had nothing to fear here. They were sat on a hospital bed, facing opposite sides to accommodate their hands.

 

“Wow, you really weren’t kidding about the whole ‘fused’ thing,” Cisco muttered, getting a good look at the strange substance. “Is that obsidian?”

 

“No, it’s not brittle enough.” Harry answered absently as he tapped at one of the medbay’s display monitors. “I also highly doubt either of them have come into contact with any felsic lava flows lately.”

 

The two engineers’ bickering faded to the background as Caitlin explained to the other scientists present everything they knew so far about their new physiologies and abilities. Mick would have been happy to sit and listen to her speak, ignoring the poking and prodding their check-up required. But then Len had to ask.

 

“Mick. What happened to you?” The room went dead quiet, all eyes on him. The feeling made his skin itch and he subconsciously shifted a little closer to Caitlin.

 

“Some asshole hit me with a tranq dart when I was walking home one night. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in a cell. They had me all doped up so I couldn’t fight back while they did their experiments. After a few days of their drugs and machines, this started.” He raised a glowing fist and conjured a flame. Despite the way it danced merrily in his palm, he couldn’t feel the heat of it. The lack of burn made him a little sad so he made it grow, wanting to feel it. It took a cold hand resting gently on his shoulder to break his reverie.

 

“Mick, honey, focus,” Caitlin softly chided. Her voice drew him out and her cool touch focused him, the way they always did. He extinguished the flame, unsure of how long he’d been silently staring at it.

 

“Anyway,” he continued. “Spent a couple weeks feeling like I was gonna explode out of my skin and the sadists went to town with their fucking tests.” The whole room was silent and somber as their minds filled in the blanks. The hand still on his shoulder gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “Then one day, Caitlin showed up out of fucking nowhere.” Caitlin easily picked up the narrative for him, possibly sensing his unease.

 

“I was asked to consult on a study. At first, I thought the stigma from the particle accelerator was finally fading. Only it turned out that my experience with the particle accelerator and metahumans was exactly why they wanted me. They were attempting to manufacture metahumans, using criminals as test subjects. Dr Baker actually thought I would want to help him do this to people.” The temperature was steadily dropping around her, ice slowly spreading across everything she was touching. “He was so goddamn proud as he showed me what they were doing, like I actually agreed-”

 

“Hey, hey,” Mick placed his hand over the one on his shoulder, meeting her eyes. “Calm down, Snowflake, you’re freezing the bed.” She looked down, surprised to see the extent of the ice radiating from her.

 

“Oh. Sorry.”

 

“Don’t worry, I got it.” He didn’t want to move his hand from where it cradled hers, but he did anyway, pressing it to the bedding and letting just enough heat into it to steam off all the ice.

 

“Thank you.” She gave him a small smile, which he returned. Behind them, Cisco coughed awkwardly, reminding them of their audience. Looking mildly embarrassed, Caitlin continued their tale, more of an overview since she had no interest in going into detail. As she spoke, Mick watched their gathered friends. The Rogues had their emotions hid behind stoick masks, although the flare of Lisa’s nostrils and the twitching muscle in Len’s jaw told him they were beyond pissed. Most of the others held various looks of horror and sympathy. One man, however, looked troubled. His eyes kept flicking back and forth between Caitlin, Mick and their joined hands. Caitlin had called him Jay, and Mick remembered from one of her anecdotes that he was a former speedster from another world. Mick didn’t know what his problem was, but he really didn’t care as long as he kept it to himself. The others continued to ask vague, probing questions, clearly fishing for details while trying not to upset them. Mick appreciated that for Caitlin’s sake. She was able to answer most of them easily until the subject of their escape came up. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room changed.

 

“How did you guys manage to get out of there?” Iris had asked, genuinely curious. Mick felt Caitlin stiffen next to him, all the tension she’d lost returning with a vengeance. _Of course_ , he thought to himself, _this is what she was afraid of._

 

“They got cocky,” Mick growled, drawing all the attention back to himself. “They wanted to see what we could do so they let us out to play. Put fucking shock collars on us so we’d behave but Caitlin used her brain to get them off us.” He let a few flames flicker across his body, nowhere near big enough to do any damage, but enough to remind everyone exactly who he was. “And then I burned them all.” He didn’t bother to suppress the feral grin the memory brought him. Right now, he wasn’t Mick, he was Heatwave. No one had to know the truth. How she had stood by his side as he turned that place to ash. A part of him didn’t want to share that with anyone. The memory of his ice goddess standing in the middle of the towering inferno he’d built just for her would belong to him and him alone. He alone had seen what the fire revealed in her.

 

“You killed them all?” Len asked in a conversational tone, clearly only wanting confirmation there was no one left for him to hunt down.

 

“Every last one. Woulda made it last, but well, we didn’t exactly want to stick around.”

 

“You just let him kill them?” Jay asked Caitlin directly. His disbelief that she would allow that was clear.

 

“ _Yes.”_ Everyone but Mick was visibly shocked by the intense venom and conviction in her voice. She met their gazes with a cold, hard stare, daring them to judge her. Len and Lisa looked impressed.

 

“All right, I think Caitlin and Mick deserve a little rest and privacy after their ordeal,” Iris carefully suggested, expertly defusing the tension. “I’m sure we’ll all feel a lot better and clear-headed after a good night’s sleep.”

 

“I’ll go find the other hospital bed.” Cisco hastily retreated, followed by Lisa and Harry. Len and Mick shared a look, Len nodding once it was clear Mick was OK with the suggestion, and leaving. Jay gave the Flash a significant look, clearly unhappy with the situation, but the speedster jerked his head for him to leave, looking apologetic about it. Jay gave Mick a hard look and Mick couldn’t resist baring his teeth in a sneer. That one was going to be trouble, he could tell.

 

“Caitlin,” Iris spoke softly, sincerely. “I know that whatever happened to you must have been awful. I’m not gonna pretend that I know what you’re going through, but I want you to know that we’re here for you.”

 

“All of us,” the Flash added.

 

“We’re all here for you, anything you need.” Iris paused before meeting Mick’s eyes. “You too, Mick.” He jolted a little at being addressed. “We’re here for you too.”

 

“Thank you, Iris.” He was glad Caitlin responded since he had no idea what to say. “ that means more than you know.” The two women shared a soft smile before Iris walked out. Now it was just them and the Flash. To Mick’s surprise, he pulled back his cowl, revealing a surprisingly young face. He looked honestly distraught as he addressed Caitlin.

 

“I am. _So sorry_.” His voice was hoarse with emotion.

 

“Barry, you have nothing to be sorry for!”

 

“I failed you Caitlin!” He sounded utterly broken. “I should have found you weeks ago! I should have known you weren’t in the city anymore after the first few times I checked.”

 

“Barry, even if you knew that, not even you could have searched literally everywhere.”

 

“But I should have! I should have known-”

 

“You got some kind of clairvoyance I don’t know about?” Both Caitlin and Barry looked startled at Mick’s interruption.

 

“No?”

 

“Then stop beating yourself up. You’re not a god, kid. You can’t know everything and you can’t save everyone. Some of us are actually capable of saving ourselves. This isn’t on you, kid, so I don’t wanna have to put up with you moping around making yourself miserable over something you had nothing to do with and couldn’t control.” The Flash blinked at him, looking like he actually thought he didn’t deserve to hear those words. Fucking superheroes.

 

“We don’t blame you, Barry,” Caitlin added. “So please stop blaming yourself.” The kid nodded, actually looking like he was about to cry.

 

“OK.” Caitlin gave him a sweet smile.

  
“Now go get some sleep. We’ll still be here in the morning.” He nodded, clearly happy to take the direction. He certainly looked like he needed some sleep. He left with a soft ‘goodnight’. On the other side of one of the lab’s glass walls, Len intercepted him and the two stood close, talking softly. Len looked honestly concerned for the kid, at one point resting a hand on his shoulder before the pair walked off together. Mick raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected. Except it was Len, so he really shouldn’t be surprised. That man had questionable taste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take a dollop of Killerwave, add hint of Goldenvibe, throw in a dash of Coldflash and you've got youself a steaming plate of the Rogues/Team Flash! 
> 
> And you know Barry would be beating himself up over this. Didn't originally go this way, but Mick couldn't be bothered listening.


	8. White knuckle grip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winding down for the night is a little trickier than expected.

Cisco arrived with the spare bed and an armful of blankets they wouldn’t need. He made a fuss getting the bed ready, finally turning to Mick once everything was done to his specifications.

 

“I don’t care who you are, no funny business. This lab is practically riddled with video cameras.” He turned to Caitlin. “And for the record, Snowflake is a terrible superhero name, but not to worry, I will have a nomenclaturial masterpiece for you in no time." He made a ridiculous motion with his fingers between his eyes and Mick before bidding Caitlin goodnight and leaving.

 

“What the hell was that?” Mick grumbled as they got comfortable on the bed.

 

“I believe that was Cisco attempting to defend my virtue.” She chuckled, taking up her usual sleeping position with Mick’s right arm as her pillow and their left arms tucked between them.

 

“Did he forget the part where we shared a cell for two weeks?”

 

“It’s possible. Cisco tends to live in a different world to the rest of us.” She reached out to a device on the wall, dimming the lights but not turning them off completely. That made sense after all their time in the dark. He knew the bed should have been uncomfortable, being two hospital beds shoved together, but right now he couldn’t remember being more comfortable. He nuzzled into Caitlin’s hair and sighed happily. “I keep thinking this is a dream and I’m going to wake up in the dark,” Caitlin whispered after a time. He pulled her tighter against him.

 

“Can’t be a dream. Nothing makes sense in dreams.”

 

“Well, I did just see the Flash and Captain Cold having a friendly conversation.”

 

“True, I’ll give you that one. But you know what they say, misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows, and that kid has certainly been miserable.”

 

“...did you just quote Shakespeare?”

 

“I like the Tempest. And it’s not the first time the kid’s asked Len for help when he had nowhere else to turn.”

 

“Still, I’m surprised that Captain Cold is being so... friendly.” Mick actually laughed.

 

“Yeah, well, Len has great self-preservation instincts except when it comes to his taste in men.”

 

“What? You don’t think...” Caitlin sounded scandalised and delighted.

 

“Probably just wishful thinking on Len’s part. He’ll know it too, but he get’s a special kind of stupid when he has a crush.”

 

“Captain Cold has a crush on the Flash. Now I  _ know _ I’m dreaming.”

 

“You are not dreaming,” he growled. “You’re never gonna wake up in that place again. They will  _ never _ touch you again. I made sure of it. The fire made sure of it.”

 

“I know but… damnit, Mick I can’t just forget it. And the fire, oh god, the fire. We killed them, Mick.  _ We killed them!”  _ It seemed now, alone in a place she considered safe, her walls were crashing down, the full reality of what they had done hitting her all at once.

  
  


“No, you didn’t. I started the fire, that’s on me, not you.”

 

“But I wanted it.” Her whispered words were so heavy with guilt they might as well have been dragging her down. “I wanted them to hurt. I wanted them to know exactly what they’d done to us.” This was bad. He knew he didn’t think the way most people did. There was a good chance she might take his thoughts on the matter very badly. But she was in pain. He had to at least try. He ducked his head, forcing her to meet his eyes.

 

“You are human, Caitlin Snow. Someone hurt you and you wanted to hurt them back. That’s just human nature. You may have wanted it, but I actually did it. Their deaths are not your burden. Let them be mine.”

 

“I don’t know if I can do that.” Her eyelashes were encrusted with frozen tears. “I helped. You can’t tell me I didn’t.”

 

“That animal deserved worse.”

 

“I know. That’s the problem.” Now her internal conflict was clear. “Because I know if I was back there I wouldn’t stop myself. I hated him, so much. But that shouldn’t make it ok!” The person she’d been and the person they had forged were at war. Mick couldn’t say which side he wanted to win.

 

“It does make it easier.”

 

“But it shouldn’t.”

 

“You sound a lot like your friend right now. We both know it was us or them. We chose us, like anyone would. Your guilt won’t change anything. All you can do is change what you do in the future.”

 

“I don’t want to be a killer.” He could barely hear that whisper.

 

“So don’t.”

 

“You make it sound so simple.”

 

“You’re an intelligent woman with superpowers. I have no doubt you can think you’re way out of any situation that might force you to take a life. And if you can’t, you’ll always have me to take up the burden.” 

 

“What if I don’t want you to have to carry it either?” He blinked. It hadn’t occurred to him that she might care about his own conscience. She needn’t have bothered, that ship had long since sailed. What mattered was that she cared at all.

 

“I can handle it.”

 

“That doesn’t mean you have to.” He didn’t know when her hand had cupped his jaw. “I’m a grown woman, my decisions are my own. I don’t need you to carry my burdens, Mick. It’s enough that you’re willing to occasionally carry  _ me _ .”

 

“I know you don’t need me-”

 

“Don’t ever say that.” Anger was a much better look on her than guilt. “Without you, I’d still be in that place, completely out of my mind. I needed you then to keep me sane.” And wasn’t that ironic, “And I need you now to do the same.” 

 

He couldn’t respond to that, he didn’t know how. His forehead rested against hers, eyes closed and steam leaking from the corners. She needs him, she trusts him and she cares about him in ways he doesn’t even care about himself. He didn’t know what to do with that. Everything he touched burns and the last thing he ever wants to burn is her. He didn’t deserve the trust of this divine creature because he knew, sooner or later, he was going to break this fragile thing that they built walking through Hell together. But he’s always been a masochist and he would accept all that she was willing to give for as long as she could stand him. Even if he saw the back of her the second their hands were freed, it would have been enough to know that he got to have this.

 

Gently, he pressed his lips to her forehead in a tender, chaste gesture of affection.

 

“Always,” he whispered softly against her skin. She sighed shakily, tucking herself further under his chin. “Get some sleep, Snowflake.”

  
“Goodnight, Mick. And for the record? I don’t mind being called Snowflake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a plan. I had a fucking plan. Mick and Caitlin took one look at that plan and elected to ignore it. This was gonna be some cute banter before bed, but no, somebody just had to start freaking out.
> 
> Mick is head over heels and he fucking knows it.


	9. Twining fingers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reality of freedom proves even the simplest tasks can be hard when you can't let go.

If Caitlin had to use one word to describe her first morning of freedom, it would be ‘awkward’. 

 

“GOOD MORNING,” Cisco bellowed from the foot of the bed. Caitlin jerked awake, twisting away from Mick’s chest to give him a sleepy greeting. She hadn’t slept that well in weeks. Next to her, Mick just gave an annoyed grunt and curled further around her. At the foot of the bed, Cisco just looked at her expectantly, apparently waiting for something. As time passed, he got slowly more confused and Caitlin’s sleep-muddled brain finally realised he was waiting for her to move away from Mick. Physical contact between them had become her new normal but to her friends it was entirely out of character. Previously, Caitlin hadn’t been overly tactile outside of her close friends, and despite their apparent acceptance of the Snarts, they hadn’t gotten to know Mick the way she had.

 

“What?” Mick finally growled, although his eyes were still closed with his face pressed into her hair. Cisco blinked and shook his head, apparently accepting that this was his life now.

 

“Um, OK. Just thought I’d let you know Barry is on his way with breakfast. Also Iris and Len are bringing you guys some clothes that, you know, actually belong to you.  I know you must be dying to take a shower Caitlin, so I rigged up a little something so you can do that with some privacy. Well, with as much privacy as is physically possible while superglued to another human being.” Mick perked up at the mention of a shower and Cisco gave him a sour look. “And I will be right outside the door if you need anything. Just yell and I’ll be there,” he added.

 

“What so you can get an eyeful?” Mick growled. Cisco’s face contorted in confusion and horror. 

 

“Whu, what? That is not what I meant at all, you know what I meant! Ugh, you are the worst!” He turned on his heel to stalk out.

 

“I’m flattered, kid, but you’re not my type,” Mick called after him, grinning impishly.

 

“The  _ WORST _ !” echoed down the hall.

 

“That was mean,” Caitlin chided, her words belied by her own amused smile. She liked seeing Mick joke around; he looked so much younger and carefree.

 

“He makes it too easy.” Mick was entirely unapologetic. She rolled her eyes and swatted his shoulder, getting up to lead him to the STAR labs bathroom. Cisco was right, a shower sounded wonderful. It wasn’t until they got there that she realised the logistics of it were going to be nightmare.

 

The thankfully spacious stall now had a curtain hung across the middle, with a Cisco-rigged attachment so that there were two showerheads, one either side of the curtain. This set up meant that they had to hold their joined arms at a stiff angle to prevent pulling back the curtain. This added to the challenge of actually removing their clothes.

 

The left straps of their singlets had been cut and tied over their shoulders. Caitlin’s knot came undone easily, but Mick eventually had to ask her for help with his. Once that was done, her arm was nearly yanked from its socket when he bent down to remove his pants. She swore at him and he grunted an apology, only to swear himself when she did exactly the same thing. Various articles of clothing were tossed over the shower door until Caitlin realised there was one garment she couldn’t physically remove herself.

 

She never had gotten the hang of unhooking a triple-hook bra clasp one-handed.

 

“Um, Mick? I need your help.” She wondered if she could still blush. Her face didn’t feel hot, just slightly less cold than the rest of her.

 

“With what?” He sounded honestly confused as to what she could possibly need his help with.

 

“I don’t suppose you know how to unclasp a bra one-handed?” There was a beat of silence and then he was actually  _ giggling _ .

 

“And I didn’t even have to buy you dinner first. Sure thing, Snowflake. I can even do it without looking.” Despite his teasing tone, the sensual rumble of his voice sent a curl of imagined heat through her. She was suddenly acutely aware that there was only a flimsy curtain between her near naked body and his. She shivered when spots of heat hit her skin, and she looked back to see his fingers ghosting lightly up her arm, using touch to guide him to his destination. She bit her lip, suppressing the noise her traitorous body very nearly released as his touch danced up to her shoulder and down her spine. It was the softest touch and yet it felt sinfully good. His questing fingers found the clasp and with a quick twist popped the hooks free. She definitely heard a sharp inhale on the other side of the curtain, followed by a throat swallowing thickly. The sudden tension was overwhelming.

 

This was something she had been very careful not to think about. Until now their companionship had been about survival, their touches meant to comfort and support. It would have felt wrong to seek anything more than that in that place. But now they were safe, their days no longer holding the promise of pain and despair. Strife had brought them together, and now freedom offered opportunity. She couldn’t help but remember the broad expanse of his shoulders, his chiselled jawline and the most intense eyes she’d ever seen. She remembered the way he had looked at her just yesterday as they prepared to bring that place down and wanted him to look at her like that again. Like he would ignite the atmosphere for her if she had but asked. He was a walking wildfire and all Caitlin wanted was to burn.

 

A month ago, she would have dismissed the idea as fleeting fancy, simple appreciation of a well-formed man. But now she had seen him at his worst, trusted him and received his trust in return. Now, she let herself want.

 

“Thank you,” she managed to say, voice unintentionally quiet and husky. She removed the garment and tossed it over the door with the rest.

 

“No problem,” Oh god, his voice was so low and rough it felt like a caress. She’d always liked his voice, but now she was practically quivering at the sound. She wanted to know how he sounded when completely wrecked with need, wondering what it would take to render him incoherrent. Feeling a bit frazzled, she hit the tap.

 

Mick yelped in surprise at the sudden deluge of icy water.

 

“Everything OK in there?” Surprisingly, it was Lisa calling through the door. She must have somehow talked Cisco out of following his brotherly protective instincts.

 

“It’s fucking cold!” Mick yelled.

 

“That was my fault, sorry!” Caitlin hastily adjusted it to the hottest setting. That little fiasco was enough to clear her head, and the hot water felt heavenly. Steam billowed thickly from the other side of the curtain. Soon she was thoroughly clean and had washed her hair (definitely not thinking about the colour. Hair dye was going to be fixing that very quickly). 

 

“You done yet, Mick?”

 

“Pretty much, yeah.” Not looking forward to the coming cold, she shut off the water. “Towels!” Mick yelled, and was promptly hit in the face with one as it was tossed over the door. Fresh clothes were hung for them over the top of the doorframe. 

 

“You two should hurry, or Barry will’ve eaten all the waffles by the time you get out,” Lisa called as she left the bathroom. Caitlin got busy towelling herself dry, only to realise that she couldn’t move her feet. 

 

“Mick…” she whined. She sounded pathetic and she knew it, but she was just so done with the many and varied ways that their ordeal continued to screw with her.

 

“What do you need, Snowflake?” It was unfair how gentle and understanding he sounded.

 

“I’m iced to the floor.” He snorted, and she could feel slight tremors from his attempts to hold in his laughter.

 

“It’s not funny.” And now she was pouting.

 

“It’s a little funny. Don’t worry, I got ya.” His foot appeared under the curtain, planting next to hers to send a wave of warmth to melt the ice. 

 

More awkward maneuvering followed as they dressed. Caitlin resolved to thank Iris profusely for bringing her a strapless bra and halterneck. She saw when they stepped out of the shower that Mick had elected simply not to bother with a shirt. They both jerked to a halt when she made for the door and he made for the sink. 

 

“What are you doing?” She frowned.

 

“Shaving.” He picked up the electric razor that had been left by the sink. “I’ll fix your hair when I’m done.” That seemed like an odd thing for him to volunteer for. She was perfectly capable of doing her own hair.

 

“Why?” He looked at her through the mirror like she was missing something.

 

“It’s frozen.” She finally looked at herself in the mirror. The image was jarring, to say the least. Aside from having inexplicably turned a pure white, her hair had indeed frozen into a solid block thanks to her shower. She looked thin and unnaturally pale and there were water drops frozen to her skin. Her lips had a distinctly blue tinge and if you asked her, Caitlin would say she looked almost dead. But the most startling thing was her eyes.  


 

“My eyes are blue.” It was like looking at a complete stranger. Her face and her hair could changed, after all they had already done so while she grew up and tried new styles. But eyes  never changed, and the icy orbs so very wrong in her face. Mick paused to look at her, frowning. In the time she’d spent examining her reflection, he’d finished his face and started cleaning up his head. “Yours are orange,” she noted. She had no idea how she had failed to notice the change, especially since she could clearly picture the pale, steely blue they had been when he kidnapped her. His eyes flicked to his own in the mirror, then back to her.

 

“Yeah. Strange. I’d forgotten your eyes were hazel.” 

 

“You remembered the colour of my eyes?” Her cheeks felt less cold, and a glance at the mirror showed a hint of blue dusting her cheeks. She could sort of blush after all.  


 

“Of course. You made quite an impression that day.” It seemed that Mick had perfected the art of looking at her like he was seeing so much more than he should. He suddenly looked a little uncomfortable. “I should...I should apologise for that. For kidnapping you. It was just business, but...you didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

  
“I already forgave you for that.” She could see in the mirror her smile was blinding. “But I do appreciate the apology.” He inclined his head and then went back to what he was doing. Finally, they exited the bathroom in search of breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caitlin and Mick have gotten very close but this is the first time there has been any truly sexual tension between them. Which is how taking a shower turned from a single scene into an entire chapter. I'm not entirely happy with it, but the chapter was getting too long and there wasn't anywhere good to cut it. IN THEORY, the plot may actually move forward in the next chapter.


	10. Broken and grasping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A breakthrough just might break them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have gotten a little carried away writing the pseudo-science, that was so much fun.

“What the fuck is that?” Mick growled, looking downright murderous. Then again, his expression had been getting progressively darker for the last hour.

 

“Popcorn,” Lisa supplied, her ever-present smirk not wavering in the slightest. Mick would never lay a finger on her and she frequently took advantage of that fact. He looked decidedly unimpressed by her response.

 

“Do I look like your personal fucking microwave?” Lisa had seen men piss themselves at that tone of voice, but she just shook the packet in her hand, shrugging.

 

“Well, I figured that, based on your facial expression and the fact that half the people in this room have been treating you like grumpy furniture,  _ something  _ was going to be on fire in the next ten minutes. Might as well have a snack while I watch the show.” Abruptly, the scientific babble that had been happening around them ceased. Cisco looked apologetic and Jay looked guilty, while Harry just looked vaguely annoyed at the interruption. Lisa kind of appreciated how few fucks he gave about other people’s feelings when there were more important things to deal with. 

 

“Lisa’s right,” Caitlin conceded. She, at least, had been attempting to get Mick to contribute to the discussion, only Jay and Harry had continually interrupted anything he had to say. It was obvious Harry thought anyone without a college education had nothing to contribute, but Jay just seemed to be irritated by Mick’s very existence. It was a shame really, Lisa had liked Jay despite his self-righteous streak, but now she wouldn’t be upset if Mick singed him just a little. Caitlin began tugging Mick towards the door. “Why don’t we go and blow off steam down in the training basement? You guys really don’t need us to run that particle analysis.”

 

“We’ll let you know when we have something,” Harry nodded, turning back to the samples they’d managed to take from Caitlin and Mick’s joined hands. Jay watched them go with a conflicted look on his face.

 

“Do you really think he would have set us on fire?” Cisco asked, a little hesitant. Lisa gave him a deceptively sweet smile. 

 

“You’re welcome,” she said instead of answering, tossing the packet of popcorn she’d used to expertly defuse Mick’s mood onto the desk. She turned to address Harry and Jay. “And for the record, gentlemen? Mick does actually know what he’s talking about. He has a degree in physical chemistry.”

 

“For real?” Cisco asked, his expressive eyes wide in adorable confusion. Jay and Harry looked equally disbelieving. Lisa cocked one eyebrow, amused. It was amazing how such intelligent men could be so stupid.

 

“He needed it to get his pyrotechnics licence.” She gave them a deviously innocent smile before heading off in search of an actual microwave.

 

When she returned to check on them a while later, they had moved on, now arguing about the substance they’d scraped off Mick and Caitlin. Unnoticed except by Cisco, she plopped herself down into a chair to watch.

 

“It’s impossible, the density alone destroys any chance of permeability.” Harry was saying.

 

“Regardless, you can’t deny that it is clearly an organic structure,” Jay countered.

 

“Just because it has cells doesn’t mean it’s alive.” Cisco knocked his fist against his chin, the way he often did when he was thinking. She’d seen him do that a lot in the last couple of weeks, and it was nice to see it without the usual undertone of grief. Everyone had looked so much healthier that morning after a real night’s sleep and the weight of worry off their shoulders.

 

“What do you mean?” Harry asked. “What other reason would there be for it to have a clearly cellular structure?”

 

“Petrified wood has a cellular structure, it’s not alive.” Cisco noted with a shrug.

 

“No, but it was,” Jay mused. he frowned. “You’re not actually suggesting that-”

 

“The substance is just their cells, mutated by whatever it was that altered their dna.” Harry completed the thought for him. He and Jay shared a look. Lisa munched away at her popcorn, considering them. They seemed to do that a lot, share significant looks loaded with history. It made her wonder what kind of relationship they’d had back on their Earth. Most of the time they were butting heads, but they did science together like remembering an old dance.

 

“That could explain why they’re getting sensory input from it.”

 

“No, Cisco, like I said, there is zero permeability in a structure that rigid, that includes ion flow and neurotransmitters. Even if there are nerves in there, it’s impossible for them to function,” Harry argued. Cisco didn’t back down.

 

“Unless whatever mutations occurred also increased conductivity.” Is it bad that watching Cisco talk science turned her on a little? 

 

“No resting membrane potential means no electrical charge, so conductivity is moot.”

 

“Unless it’s psychosomatic,” Jay interrupted. “Their bodies reacting to imagined stimuli, despite their minds knowing they shouldn’t be able to feel it.” 

 

“Even if the pain is psychological, we can’t just knock them out to remove it. We’d need an anaesthesiologist just to keep Mick under and Caitlin said she barely reacted to any of the sedatives they tried to give her in that place.” Cisco sighed in frustration, moving to lean against the desk next to Lisa. Lenny had teased her about the way they gravitated towards each other. She’d smacked him for it, but secretly she liked the idea that Cisco might seek support from her. No one had ever really needed her before. An idea niggled at her brain suddenly.

 

“What if they did it?” The three all looked at her. The idea was probably terrible, but she didn’t let her lack of confidence show. “Caitlin’s a doctor, she knows what she’s doing. Mick’s a masochist when it’s on his terms. If the pain is just in their heads, maybe it won’t be so bad if they’re the ones causing it.”

 

“That’s not a bad idea.” Cisco looked proud of her. “You need to give yourself more credit. Maybe you shoulda been a doctor after all.” Her heart fluttered a little at the idea that Cisco thought she was smart, but smug satisfaction was all that showed on her face. 

 

“I don’t think I’ll be quitting my day job any time soon.”

 

“You can’t ignore the siren call of science forever.”

 

“I don’t think it’s the science calling to me.”

 

“If you’re quite done flirting,” Harry interrupted abruptly, “I seem to recall telling Caitlin we’d inform her if we came up with something. Unless anyone else has any other suggestions, why don’t we ask if those two are even willing to try Lisa’s idea.”

  
  


Lisa wasn’t surprised when Mick and Caitlin did agree to try. What did surprise her was Mick’s insistence that Lenny and Barry be present.

 

“I don’t know what will happen if we do this. Pain feeds the fire. If I lose control, somebody is going to have to be able to put me out. Failing that, somebody needs to be able to get the rest of you out.”

 

“Can’t Caitlin just put you out?” Jay asked.

 

“Not if I’m in the same boat,” Caitlin pointed out. She and Mick shared a look. It was so strange to see someone on the same wavelength as Mick. Lisa could read his body language and navigate his moods, but she could never presume to know what was going through his head. Mick had always been a wildcard, unpredictable, and yet they seemed to flow around each other like Caitlin already knew where he was going and he knew where she needed to be. A part of Lisa was jealous at the clear trust those two had in each other. Lisa could count the number of people she trusted on her thumbs, and even then her trust in Cisco was still new and tentative. Not solid and unbreakable like Mick and Caitlin’s seemed to be.

 

“Cisco,” Mick said abruptly. “Get my gun.”

 

“You mean my gun?” Cisco sassed, ignorant of the significance that Mick would even let someone else touch it.

 

“ _ My gun, _ ” Mick growled. “I’m willing to let you borrow it while we do this.”

 

“Borrow it? You don’t even need it anymore! You’re a walking bonfire!” Lisa put her hand on his arm.

 

“Cisco. Get the gun. We may need it.” She kept her tone soft and reasonable, and he finally seemed to realise that Mick was trusting him to not only hold his weapon, but potentially use it on Caitlin if she lost control. 

 

“All right. Getting the gun.”

 

“Are you sure about this Caitlin?” Jay asked, voice soft and concerned.

 

“I know what I’m doing, Jay. We’ll be fine.”

 

“I’m not doubting your skill with a scalpel. But after everything you’ve gone through...I just don’t want to see you in pain.” Lisa’s annoyance at Jay subsided a little.

 

“I know, but this has to be done. We can't live like this.”

 

“We should find another way. We can’t ask you to do this to yourself.” Something in Caitlin’s face shifted, like she’d read deeper into that statement and didn’t like what she saw. When she spoke her tone was cold and clipped.

 

“I appreciate the concern, Jay, but  _ we _ can handle it.” Lisa didn’t miss the emphasis there. Neither did Mick, who stepped closer behind Caitlin, glaring at Jay in a silent gesture of support. Jay ignored him, a foolish move considering the flames beginning to flicker across his scalp. Jay studied Caitlin’s face for a few moments, looking for something in her impassive expression that he clearly didn’t find if his resigned sigh was anything to go by. Fortunately for his continued health, he let the matter drop.

 

Harry called Barry, bringing him up to speed, and in a few moments he flashed in carrying Lenny. It wasn’t long before everyone was gathered around the fused pair, as ready as they would ever be. Lisa was seriously beginning to regret opening her big mouth, the tension was killing her.

 

“You ready?” Caitlin asked, the specialised laser scalpel Cisco had provided clenched in her right hand. Mick nodded, his eyes searing into hers.

 

“Don’t think about it. Just do it. I trust you.” Lisa could see Caitlin steeling herself, her muscles tensing as she switched the device on. Lisa had expected a count or at least some warning, but instead Caitlin brought the scalpel to their hands with a surgeon’s surety.

 

Lisa should never have opened her big mouth. She should have let the real scientists come up with a real solution. Now she had to watch as Caitlin fought through the pain to hold her hands steady, as Mick panted in short pained breaths, both of them fighting not to cry out. Tears were freezing on Caitlin’s face and steam was escaping the corners of Mick’s eyes. Next to her, Cisco’s free hand found Lisa’s, gripping it tight. She squeezed back just as hard, stepping closer as his presence brought the smallest comfort. Caitlin was clearly working as fast as she could, sobs and whimpers escaping her clenched lips. Mick let out a groan that probably wanted to be a roar, the tendons on his neck straining as he held in his pain.

 

“M-Mick,” Caitlin managed to get past her clenched teeth.

 

“Keep going!” he barked. Flames were crawling up his back, slowly getting higher. “First thing I’m doing when I have both hands is giving you a real hug,” he ground out, the words endearing despite the pain in his voice. “And then I’m making you pancakes.” He just kept talking, occasionally nonsense words of encouragement, but mostly things he wanted to do once this was down. Half of it was ridiculous, but Caitlin seemed to need the words, the sound of his voice grounding her despite spreading her focus. Or perhaps that was the point. Mick seemed to need it as well, focussing on getting the words out rather than the pain he was in. Neither of them screamed. Lisa didn’t know what she would have done if they had.

 

Finally, their hands broke away with a crunch, shards of black falling to the floor as they flexed stiff fingers. For a moment they just stood there, staring at their freed limbs and everything seemed like it was going to be fine.

 

Suddenly, Mick and Caitlin were both panting in heavy, laboured breaths. The flames on Mick roared higher while thick, sharp icicles formed everywhere around Caitlin, spreading out quickly. Mick fell to his knees, hands clenched white as he struggled. Caitlin clutched at her chest as though she was physically fighting to keep something in.

  
“Get them out!” she shrieked at Barry. “ _Get everybody out_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I am a horrible person. Also, Lisa's P.O.V is my favourite.
> 
> My feelings towards the canon Jay Garrick are decidedly meh. I like him well enough, but his self-righteous streak gets on my nerves. This isn't meant to be Jay-hate, it's just largely being told from the P.O.V of people that I don't think would like him very much.  
> I headcanon that Jay and Harry were friends once, mostly based on the fact that Jay actually let Harry experiment on him. Of course, if you want to see it as shippy, go nuts.


	11. Don't let go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire meets ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been building up to this chapter since I started this fic, and when I actually get here it kicks my damn arse. Actually had to switch the P.O.V because Mick is so poetic it was easier to express everything through him, Caitlin was just giving me writer's block.

When her hand fell free, joints and muscles aching as they were finally able to move, Caitlin was entirely thrown by the jumble of emotions she felt. There was overwhelming relief that the pain was over and this aspect of their ordeal, the last thing holding them captive, was finally destroyed. Yet at the same time there was a keen sense of loss and wrongness, as though in letting him go she was losing a limb. Already her hand was cooling, the chill of her changed body spreading to the last part of her that felt human. 

 

It was getting worse. As though by spreading into that last piece of her the cold could finally claim her utterly. It was like when her abilities had been boosted but so much more wild, untethered by the unrelenting leash of heat she hadn’t known she needed. She wasn’t holding back a snowstorm anymore but an arctic hurricane. She could feel the power of it in her bones, an unforgiving force fighting to be unleashed. Desperately, she struggled within herself, but she may as well have been trying to hold back a bull. She simply wasn’t strong enough. 

 

Mick fell to his knees in front of her, feeling strangely far away. Fire was blazing out of him, steadily growing higher despite the effort he was clearly putting into holding it back. Her arms clutched at her chest, as though that weak physical display could contain the hurricane. Behind Mick she could see the fear and hesitation on Captain Cold’s face as he aimed his weapon at his best friend. Her eyes slid to Barry, who seemed at a loss as to what to do.

 

“Get them out!” she shrieked at him desperately. “ _ Get everybody out _ !”

 

Electricity flew through the room as in the blink of an eye everyone disappeared. With everyone gone, Caitlin wanted to let go, to let the blizzard out simply so she didn’t have to fight anymore. But that wasn’t an option, not when she knew Mick was right there, burning bright and gloriously hot, so easy for the cold to snuff out. Steam hissed and billowed between them, ice shards formed in the air only to crash down around her. Everything on Mick’s side of the room wavered in a heat haze and equipment everywhere was sparking dangerously.

 

Caitlin knew without a doubt that they were going to die in this room, consumed by the forces of nature those fools had attempted to contain. Caitlin was going to die for Dr Baker’s hubris, but at least she wasn’t alone.

 

She was going to die in the arms of someone she loved.

 

Her whole body trembling with the effort of control, she fell to her knees in front of Mick, throwing her arms around his neck, allowing his blazing arms to pull her tight against him.

 

The hiss was deafening and the relief absolute. 

 

As always, his warmth was a balm, melting the ice in her bones and warming the air in her lungs so she could really breathe. The arctic hurricane in her chest was reduced once more to a bearable winter wind. They were both trembling with fear and exhaustion and relief. She pressed herself closer, her face buried in his neck, breathing in the scent of him and feeling his heartbeat with her whole body. His arms pulled her even tighter to him as though he was terrified she would disappear if he let go. 

 

Caitlin understood now. They’d taken off the cast and tried to run. Before her arrival, Mick had been unstable, likely to erupt at any moment. The event that changed them had stabilised him by creating a perfect counter in her. They were each others’ crutch, and it would likely take a lot of work before they could be separated indefinitely. Although right now, she didn’t want to let go of him ever again. So she sat there in his arms at the centre of the destruction, grateful to be alive and not alone. 

* * *

 

When the bond was finally cut away, Mick didn’t want to let go. Caitlin was a gift, the grounding rod he needed but never expected to want. He hated the idea of being separated from her, but he could not begrudge her the need to be free of him. Her small, delicate limb pulled away with a crack of falling rock. He wanted to pull it back, to drag her into the hug he had promised.

 

But there was a light in his palm. A soft, familiar glow like smouldering embers. He could feel it now, the steady burn originating in his palm, pulsing up his arm and into his body, a fresh supply of gasoline to the furnace he’d become. His already fast pulse raced, his blood scalding in his veins. The heat in his core had become an old friend, but now it drove past the point of pleasure into searing pain. He knew this feeling, had gotten well acquainted with it in the first couple of weeks in that place. He wasn’t just burning, he was a human bomb, set to rain hellfire down upon the earth at any moment.

 

Only Caitlin was right there in front of him, and she had told him she needed him. He couldn’t give in and he would never let her burn. So he did the only thing that had helped in the beginning, during the hellish times when the shots wore off before they realised the drugs needed to be constant. He got on his knees and pressed his hands to the solid ground beneath him. The fire begged to consume but the heat just wanted release and he could give it that. He sent it out, into the cold concrete and the air around him, siphoning off just enough to relieve the pressure to make it bearable but not enough to completely destroy everything around him. Caitlin’s ice was doing a grand enough job of causing damage as it was, although it provided him with a convenient heat sink, steam hissing between them where his heat met her cold.

 

He could see that she was struggling but could do nothing to help, not while he had to focus on keeping himself contained. She fell to her knees in front of him, arms reaching out. He wanted to pull back, to warn her that she’d be ash before she even touched his skin. But then her frozen hands were on him, her impossible cold a shock to his to his system. The pressure receded, the searing heat reduced once more to the low steady burn that was his new normal. Instead of pushing her away, he pulled her closer, craving the relief her contact brought and the comforting knowledge that she was fine, that he hadn’t destroyed her the way he destroyed everything else good in his life. She obliged happily, pressing her face into his neck and straddling his knees, needing the contact and comfort just as much as him.

 

He didn’t know how long they sat there, just holding each other as the ice around them melted. 

 

“Don’t let go,” she whispered finally, her chilly lips moving against his skin.

 

“Never.” His voice sounded absolutely wrecked, hoarse and shaken from the scare they’d just had. “You can’t get rid of me that easy.” She pulled back enough to look at him, resting their foreheads together. 

 

“I don’t ever want to be rid of you.” Her voice was a hushed whisper, like she was telling him a secret that was just for him. She was looking at him like he was worth keeping, like he wasn’t just a scarred old psycho useful only for his skills and barely worth the effort to control. She looked at him like all she could see was him, raw and exposed, and what she saw was something precious. Mick was absolutely terrified. No one had ever looked at him like that before and it was overwhelming. He wanted to panic, to run and hide, to show her that she was wrong, that he wasn’t worthy of her and never would be. 

  
His internal panic came to a screeching halt at the touch of ice to his lips. She kissed him like she barely believed he was real, her lips the barest press against him. It felt perfect and right, like her lips had been made to melt against his and he pressed forward, chasing the sensation. She met his force with her own, the hands on his neck now pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. He lost himself to the feel of her, pushing aside the memory of the look in her eyes and how she made him want things he had no right to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Caitlin might have figured out what the problem is. And that she has certain feelings, finally. Mick may have also figured that out those feelings and gone into absolute denial. My poor pyro has issues.


	12. Grip strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Firestorm to the rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone gets confused, Jax calls Prof Stein 'Grey' and Stein insists on using Jax's first name.

 

Firestorm had gotten the call from Cisco the night before. Caitlin had gone missing but they’d found her, now a metahuman and fused with a fire-based metahuman. Professor Stein had been quick to offer their services in any way, and Jax agreed. He couldn’t imagine what it would have been like trying to deal with his powers without Grey there to guide him. They had elected to head over the next day, although if the scene before them was any indication, that had been a mistake.

 

Team Flash were all standing outside STAR labs, along with a a few people Jax didn’t recognise. However, he was fairly confident that was Captain Cold currently have a yelling match with the Flash.

 

“If you go in there, it’s suicide!” Snart was yelling in Barry’s face, one hand firmly gripping the front of his suit, as though proximity might help get the message through.

 

“We can’t just abandon them!” Barry yelled back. “If I’m fast enough, I can-”

 

“Fast enough to what, Barry?” Cold interrupted. “To boil alive when you run into superheated air? To freeze to death when the cold takes out your speed? You can’t help them!”

 

“BECAUSE YOU WON’T LET ME!”

 

“YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT I’M NOT GONNA LET YOU RUN TO YOUR DEATH!”

 

“Firestorm!” Cisco exclaimed as Jax touched down, inordinately happy to see them. His arrival thankfully distracted Flash and Cold from their little spat. “We don’t know why, but Caitlin and Mick’s powers somehow went critical after we separated them.”

 

 _Of course_ , Grey said in his head, _Much like I began to destabilise without Ronald, Dr Snow and Mr Rory must be experiencing something similar._

 

“Grey thinks they’re destabilising,” Jax passed along. “If it’s the same thing that happened to him, we might be able to help them.”

 

“Can this kid get close enough?” Cold demanded from Cisco.

 

“Considering they already generate extreme heat they should be able to withstand Mick and fight off Caitlin’s cold. They’re our only hope.”

 

“It’s still risky,” Barry interjected. Cold scowled at him.

 

“So you’d happily risk yourself, but not him?”

 

“Them, and yes.” Jax elected to ignore their renewed argument.

 

“Where are they?” he asked Cisco.

 

“Lab 3 on the second floor.”

 

“We’re on it.” With a burst of ignition, they flew into the building.

 

Jax wasn’t quite sure what to expect. His imagination may have gone a little wild with images of raging infernos and towers of ice. In the end, finding Dr Snow straddling and making out with a naked man was almost a let down.

 

 _Well this is certainly a surprise_. Grey had a gift for understatement.

 

“Woah!” They broke their kiss, startled by the unexpected intrusion. Caitlin looked shocked by his sudden arrival, but the man Jax assumed was Mick Rory just looked annoyed. Which, fair enough. “I didn’t mean to interrupt nothing, but Flash said you needed help..?” He took in the rest of the room, everything clearly damaged in some way by heat or ice. “Woah,” he repeated, glad Barry had gotten the others out.

 

“Thank you, Jax, Professor, but we figured out the issue, we’re fine now.”

 

 _Clearly_. Jax held back a snort.

 

“You’re on fire,” Mick said reverently, mesmerised by the flames. Which honestly made a nice change from the way that phrase was usually screamed. He looked back at Caitlin after a second, frowning. “I thought you said Firestorm died?”

 

“Ronnie did,” she said in that soft, sad way she always talked about him. “When Professor Stein began to destabilise after his death, Jax was kind enough to fuse with him.” She turned to address Firestorm, curious. “When did you get here?” It was really hard to look at her without thinking about the fact that she was sitting on a naked guy. Looking at the walls was safer.

 

“Just now. Cisco called, said that there was a fire meta we might be able to help train. When we got here, everyone was outside yellin’ at each other and Cisco said you two had gone critical. I’m just gonna go, tell them they can stop panicking now.”

 

_Good idea, Jefferson. I’m sure these two would like a little privacy. If only so one of them can dress._

 

“Yes, thank you, Jax.” Caitlin said, unable to hear Grey. Jax nodded and beat a hasty retreat.

 

“And bring me some pants!” Mick yelled after him.

 

“Sure thing, dude.” _Oh thank goodness_.

 

* * *

 

 

Caitlin made the mistake of looking down, squeaking a little when she realised that, yes, all of Mick’s clothes had burnt off.

 

“Well. This is awkward.” Mick raised an eyebrow at that.

 

“Wasn’t awkward two minutes ago,” he pointed out.

 

“I didn’t realise you were naked two minutes ago!” He smirked.

 

“Aren’t doctors supposed to be clinical and objective towards the human body?”

 

“It’s a little different when it’s someone I’ve been...well...kissing.” She stuttered hotly, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.

 

“Why? You tempted to take a peek?” That made her look at him. If she could blush properly, her cheeks would be flaming. That low, sensual growl of his always seemed to grip her, and there was only the thin barrier of her top and sweatpants between their skin. They were sinfully close, chest to chest, nose to nose, she was straddling him for goodness sake. She had just decided to skip responding in favour of kissing the smirk off his face, when Barry flashed in.

 

“Thank god you’re ...ok?” The unfathomable confusion in his voice would have been adorable at any other time. Caitlin pulled away and dropped her head against Mick’s shoulder with a groan. Mick actually growled, glaring at the speedster. Barry just gaped at them, his brain having apparently momentarily shut down. The sound of running feet echoed down the fall and soon Cisco and Len joined Barry in the doorway.

 

“Caitlin, you’re ok? Jax said you’re why is Mick naked?” Cisco’s expression now matched Barry’s perfectly. Even Len had raised his eyebrows. Caitlin let out a long suffering sigh, giving them her own stern look.

 

“You all ran in here before Firestorm finished talking, didn’t you?”

 

“Uh, yeah.” Barry’s cheeks were doing a valiant effort of matching his suit.

 

“So you missed the part where all Mick’s clothes burned off, didn’t you?”

 

“Yeah, looks like.” Cisco was now staring resolutely at the ceiling. Len was looking far too amused, his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried not to laugh.

 

“At least the good doctor was kind enough to protect his modesty,” he couldn’t resist quipping.

 

“You know I don’t actually have to move to set that stupid coat of yours on fire?” Mick growled. Len just continued smirking, placing two fingers under Barry’s chin to not-so-gentle shut his dropped jaw. The unexpected contact more than the gesture seemed to jolt him back to reality, although the look he gave Len was still thoroughly scandalised.

 

“Get the poor man some pants,” Len ordered, ignoring Barry’s offended sensibilities. In a flash, Mick and Caitlin are on their feet, Mick fully dressed. There was also now several metres of space between them. Caitlin gasped, feeling the unrelenting cold threaten to take over again. Mick was already reaching for her and she practically vaulted back into his arms. Their audience seemed thoroughly confused by their behaviour.

 

“Clingy much, Caitlin?” Cisco commented. “I’d have thought you’d be sick of each other by now.” Caitlin just rolled her eyes, shifting so she and Mick were side by side, his arm around her waist.

  
“We can’t be separated. Our abilities effectively cancel each other out. We can’t let go, not yet away. We’re not strong enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another chapter that kicked my arse. The next one is shaping up well though.


	13. Push or pull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fear can bring out the worst in people

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictional relationships are hard.

Mick looked around Caitlin’s apartment, hoping to distract himself. It was classy, well-kept and girly, much like her. But the couch looked comfy and the tv was huge, so he had no real complaints. It had taken a lot to convince the others to let them go home. Or more accurately, for Caitlin to go home. Mick’s home was wherever he was keeping his stuff that month. Surprisingly, the old man who was one half of Firestorm had been their biggest advocate. They had strict instructions to return the next morning to begin training and probably more tests, but for now they were blissfully alone. Which was good, because some of the looks the others had been giving him had started to seriously irritate him. He was already in a foul mood.

 

Cailin had her head buried in the refrigerator, frowning at the contents, most of which had begun to rot in her absence. Mick was standing behind her, their hands held between them, trying to look at everything but her. It felt so strange to be holding her right hand in his left, wrong and unfamiliar yet so right. Which really summed up his current state of mind.

 

Mick had no idea what to do.

 

Typically, when a beautiful woman kissed him, they would find somewhere private, get down and dirty and then part ways. If the sex was particularly good, he might stick around for a few more rounds, but never more than that. What was happening between him and Caitlin was so much more than anything he had ever experienced. He wanted things with her that he’d never given a second thought to before. He had spent his life largely transient, but she made him want to put down roots, to build when he had only ever destroyed. She made him want to be better, if only so he might come close to being worthy.

 

He imagined this would be a lot easier if it weren’t for the unusual nature of their situation. The idea of trying to have a relationship would be much less terrifying if he knew he could walk away. As things stood, even if she ended up loathing him, they were stuck in each other’s space. He didn’t think he could live with seeing hate and disgust in her eyes day in and day out. His fear was making him irritable, which didn’t help matters.

 

“This looks like the lab fridge from my first year bio class. I think we’re ordering in tonight.” Caitlin sighed and closed the fridge. “What do you want to eat?” Mick grunted and shrugged. Caitlin raised her eyebrows at him. “You know you’re the only one who’ll be really eating? Your opinion is kinda important.”

 

“I don’t care,” he muttered, still not looking at her. She frowned now, moving to stand in front of him.

 

“Mick? What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Don’t give me that. Something is clearly bugging you.”

 

“I said it’s nothing.” He could hear the tightness in his voice and he knew he was scowling. Hopefully she would get the message and back off. Unfortunately, she was stubborn.

 

“Obviously, it’s not nothing. Come on, Mick, you need to talk to me.”

 

“I don’t need to do anything.” He looked at her now, unable to suppress his annoyance at her persistence. Her jaw was clenched and her lips pursed. Anger was a distractingly good look on her. 

 

“Granted, that was a poor choice of words. But I can’t just ignore it if you’re upset about something and I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”

 

“I don’t need your help. It has nothing to do with you.” Her eyes narrowed, assessing him.

 

“I think it does, considering we have been attached at the wrist for the last two weeks.” She leant back against the kitchen counter, letting her bare foot rest on top of his so that she could drop his hand. It hurt that she did that, that she would just let him go. The fact that it hurt just made him angrier. He crossed his own impressive arms and leaned into her space.

 

“I said it had nothing to do with you. So just drop it.” The flickering light told him he’d started to burn a little. The bench behind Caitlin had a steadily growing layer of frost on it. 

 

“Stop fighting me and just tell me what’s wrong!” How could someone who was so cold have so much fire inside her? “Goddamnit, Mick! what are you afraid of?”

 

“THIS!” he roared, throwing his arms wide. “You!” One large finger jabbed her collarbone. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”

 

“What? No, why would I want that?” she yelled back, shocked. “What possible reason could you have to be  _ afraid  _ of  _ me? _ ” He wished to hell he could pace, having to settle for slamming his hands down on the bench either side of her, boxing her in.

 

“Because everything I touch burns, Caitlin! I don’t know how to stop it because I never wanted to! But you,” he pulled back, hating that she had drawn out this side of him. “You make me want to. But eventually, all of this,” he gestured angrily between them, “is gonna go up in smoke because of me. Because I can’t stop it!”

 

“And you don’t think I can?” Now she was the one entering his space. “What did you say to Barry yesterday? ‘Some of us can save ourselves’. I don’t need you to save me from you, Mick! But I can’t fight for us if you refuse to communicate!”

 

“Well maybe you shouldn’t fight for us!”

 

“Well one of us fucking has to!” Hearing her swear at the top of her lungs should not have been as hot as it was. “God, I want to hit you so much right now! You don’t get to do this! You don’t get to kiss me like  _ that  _ and then try to sabotage us just because you can’t see what I see!”

 

“But that’s just it, Caitlin! Nobody sees me! They see my face, my size and my obsession and that’s it. But you,” he scrubbed one hand down his face, hating that he couldn’t seem to get the words right. “You  _ see me! _ ”

 

“Yes! So get it through that thick skull of yours,” she gripped his t -shirt, a hiss of steam rising where her icy fingers touched his scalding skin. “I want what I see.”

  
He’d thought kissing her before had felt amazing. This was something else. She was forceful and angry and she kissed like she wanted to consume him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To smut or not to smut? That is the question...
> 
> Conflict is HARD. They kept wanting to apologise to each other.


	14. Burning Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mick and Caitlin get even closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was gonna be full-on smut but my brain wouldn't co-operate, so....have this instead.  
> Also, what Iris says about Mick is something my flatmate actually said about Dominic Purcell.

She threw her whole self into the kiss, the cool curves of her body molding against his. His large, hot hands instinctively gripped her, slipping up the plains of her back as he pressed her back into the kitchen counter. He was a wall of heat against her, and she wanted to melt into him, feeling more alive now than she had in weeks. His lips were soft and unrelenting, taking everything she gave and giving back just as much. When his hot tongue darted past her lips, she moaned, the touch of it scorching but oh so good. The thought of how that tongue would feel elsewhere had her undulating against him, the blazing pressure against her stomach feeling like a promise. His hands traced a fiery trail down her sides, palming her ass and traveling further to grip each thigh, allowing him to hoist her up onto the bench.

 

She squeaked a little in surprise but got with the program, gripping his neck for support and hooking her ankles around his back to keep him close. She gasped when his mouth moved from hers to nip and suck at the sensitive skin under her jaw. Her glacial hands explored the muscles of his back and shoulders, making him shiver delightfully. 

 

She wondered, not for the first time, how it felt for him when they touched. His hands blazed a trail under her shirt, pulling it higher to expose more skin. She regretfully pulled him away from her neck, smothering his growl with her lips. She tugged at the offending fabric of his shirt, wanting access to as much of his skin as possible. He chuckled, a low rumble that resonated through her. She whined when he broke the kiss, mollified only by the sight of him pulling his shirt over his head.  She drank in the sight of all that toned muscle, eagerly aiding him in removing her own top so she could feel it against her. He obeyed readily when she tugged him back in and she happily kissed the smug little grin off his lips. The feel of his solid body against hers was glorious and the more he touched her, the more human she felt.

 

His hands slipped under her thighs again, easily lifting her and carrying them out of the kitchen. Rather than attempt to blindly navigate to her bedroom, he laid her down beneath him on the couch, taking the time to worship her with his eyes. He pressed a reverent kiss to her hip bone, making her shiver and squirm as he slowly made his way up her body. She arched up against him, seeking his touch. He rocked down against her, sending thrills of pleasure through her and something like heat curled in her belly. His mouth was heaven against hers and his body promised the best sin. She lost herself to the sensations, giving as good as she got, nails and teeth biting, lips and tongue soothing.

 

Out of nowhere, Mick stilled above her, a growl of frustration in his throat.

 

“You’re stopping. Why are you stopping?” she demanded, her hips rocking up insistently in an attempt to coax him back to business. He groaned deeply at her movements and glared at her.

 

“Not because I want to!” he huffed, sounding deliciously wrecked. He sagged against her, grumbling into her collarbone. “Just occurred to me I don’t know the melting point of latex, but I’m pretty sure it’s not high enough.”

 

“Oh.” Her head dropped back into the couch with a sigh. “God, I didn’t even think of that. I mean, I have some theories, but it’d be best to verify them before...y’know.” He sighed in defeat.

 

“That’s what I thought.” Unseen by him, she smirked evilly, rolling her hips again. His head jerked up and he shot her a thunderous glare.

 

“Snow…” he growled warningly. Still grinning, she licked a stripe up his neck, stopping to nip at his ear, making him shiver and groan.

 

“Stop pouting, Mick, and get creative,” she purred. His answering grin was enough to know she was about to be devoured.

* * *

  
  


“This is so weird,” Cisco remarked the next day, chewing absently on the stick of a lollipop. 

 

“What is?” asked Lisa. Her feet were propped up on the desk, completely at ease in her surroundings. No one except Joe batted an eye these days at the sight of the Snart siblings in STAR labs, even though with Mick and Caitlin found, they didn’t have any real need to be there. Cisco personally had no problem with that, mostly in regards to Lisa.

 

“Caitlin. And Mick.” He leaned back against the desk, one hand unconsciously resting on a boot-clad ankle. Through the window, they could see the pair working with Dr Stein, testing how long they could safely go without contact. The results were promising; in the three hours they’d been at it, they’d gone from lasting 9 seconds to 27, but the strain was still obvious. “I swear it’s like Ronnie all over again. Only not, ‘cause I doubt Mick and I are gonna bond over pizza and superhero movies.”

 

“Usually when you lose me it’s because you’re talking science.” He looked back at her, seeing those perfect eyebrows raised in inquiry. It was incredible how she could simultaneously make him feel like the smartest man in the world and a complete moron. he faced her fully.

 

“Ok, I’ve known Caitlin for years now and, well, I saw the look on her face when she walked in this morning. Ma gurl’s gettin’ sum.” Lisa sat up looking delighted.

 

“You’re kidding. You think little miss uptight in there actually got down and dirty with  _ Mick? _ ” He gave her a look of faux-condescension

 

“Oh sweetheart, I don’t think, I know. Come on, you can’t look at the way those two are with each other and tell me there’s nothing there.” Personally, Cisco was trying not to think too much about. Caitlin was like a sister to him and it was bad enough that one time Ronnie got drunk and over-shared. Lisa got up, standing next to him as she peered through the glass. Inside, Mick was saying something, the edges of his mouth curled ever so slightly. He’d had that damn smile all morning and Cisco had seriously considered hiding the heat gun just to make it go away.

 

“Oh my god, they are totally sleeping together.” Lisa sounded like she didn’t believe her own words.

 

“Who is?” Iris asked as she entered the room, arms laden with their lunch.

 

“Mick and Caitlin.” Lisa replied before Cisco could respond.

 

“Huh. Go Caitlin.” Both their heads swung to stare at her. 

 

“What? He may not be my piece of pie, but Mick does kind of look like he was beaten into attractiveness with a rock,” she said with a shrug.

 

“I believe the term you’re looking for is ‘chiselled’,” Len drawled from the doorway, looking somewhat disbelieving that this was his life.

 

“No, Iris is right, I totally see now,” Cisco murmured, head tilted to the side as he peered through the glass. “Nope, still super weird.” Len scoffed.

  
“Around this madhouse, weird is the status quo. Now, if you’re quite done checking out Mick, I need to talk to Caitlin.”


	15. Arm in Arm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little downtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT!: Updated version of previously posted Chapter 15 - So, funny story: Last time I came back to this fic, I was a bit confused because I remembered writing more than what was in the file. Turns out I had...by hand in a notebook I only uncovered the other day. So here is the amended version, which basically just adds the conversations I had written down, altered a little to fit how the original chapter ended up flowing. So sorry its not a REAL update.
> 
> Its mostly sickeningly adorable and domestic.  
> Hopefully posting this will motivate me further.  
> FYI, most of this fic occurred between Running to a Standstill and Potential Energy. This chapter begins just before Welcome to/Escape from Earth-2

“No.”

 

“Aww, come on.”

 

“No.” 

 

“Please, Mickey?” That earned Caitlin a thunderous glare from the other end of the couch.

 

“I thought we had an agreement about that name.”

 

“Come on, it’ll make him happy.”

 

“Like I care. Do I look like Lisa to you?”

 

“Don’t pretend you haven’t warmed up to him,” Caitlin scoffed with a derisive look. Mick huffed in annoyance.

 

“Look, it’s bad enough he makes the rest of my clothes. He ain’t makin’ me a super-suit.”

 

“Combat suit.”

 

“Same thing. He makes me that suit, next thing Red’ll be expecting me to follow him around. I’m nobody’s hero, Snowflake. It ain’t happenin’.”

 

“That’s a lie.” She prodded him in the gut with her toe. “You’re my hero.” His raised eyebrow conveyed all the respect he thought that sentiment deserved. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s true. And he’s not gonna make you be a superhero,” she insisted, exuding exasperation. “But you keep jumping into the fight anyway and Cisco is getting tired of making you new clothes. He’s sews them all himself, you know, and that fire-resistant fabric isn’t exactly easy to work with.”

 

“Yeah, I know, ‘cause he won’t stop bitching about it,” Mick grumbled, absently grabbing her foot and rubbing it idly, drawing a soft hum of contentment from her. “And the only reason I step in is ‘cause otherwise Barry’ll get himself killed and I don’t wanna have to deal with everybody’s moping.”

 

“How considerate of you.” She regarded him through her eyelashes for a moment. “You know, it’s been two months.”

 

Mick’s brow furrowed. Of course he knew that. He knew how many nights he’d spent in her bed, knew how many mornings he’d woken with her in his arms. He knew how many weeks they’d spent practicing, strengthening their control until they could go days without touching if they wanted. Not that they did. Even without their powers forcing them to, the constant touch was just a part of what made them  **_them_ ** . 

 

“So?” he grunted.

 

“So,” she echoed, stretching the word. “You’ve spent pretty much every day at STARlabs. Everyone’s figured out by now that you’re not gonna kill them for looking at you funny.” She wiggled the toes of the foot he was massaging and he conceded with a grunt. It was true, after all.  Mick had lost count of the amount of times Cisco had chatted him into a stupor, or Harry had dragooned him into doing the heavy lifting around the lab. They weren’t afraid of him anymore, not unless he put some effort into being intimidating, and even then they probably didn’t believe he’d do any real damage. Hell, after the second time he’d stepped in to pull Barry’s arse out of the fire, he’s pretty sure some of them actually  **_liked_ ** him now. Except Det. West, who either gave him the stink-eye when forced to interact with him and pretended he didn’t exist otherwise. Oddly, Mick appreciated the stability of the cop’s behaviour.

 

“What's your point?”

 

“My point is that no one's gonna tear you down if you actually admit you care about them. They're not that kind of people. No one’s gonna hold it against you if you actually admit you like us .”

 

“I like _ you _ ,” Mick rumbled just to be contrary, gripping the ankle he held to abruptly pull her into his lap. She shrieked and giggled at the sudden movement, her hands falling to his shoulders for balance.

 

“I’m aware,” she attempted to deadpan, but her smile could not be contained. It scared Mick sometimes, just what he was willing to do just to see that smile. “But you like them too.”

 

“Mhmm. Like you more,” Mick murmured against the porcelain column of her neck, planting a trail of burning kisses. She gave the breathy little gasp he’d come to love as he nipped playfully at her jaw. 

 

“I’m just suh-saying,” she continued, “would it kill you to admit you don’t hate them?”

 

“No, but it might kill them,” he answered darkly.

 

She huffed. “I’m serious.”

 

“So am I.” He pulled back to look her in the eye, his wandering hands stilling on her waist. “Not all the people I associate with are as warm and cuddly as the Snarts.”

 

“You’re worried people might hurt them? Because of you?” she asked with a concerned frown.

 

“Look, I’ll admit the nerd brigade has grown me a little,” he finally acquiesced with a sigh.  “Cisco, Flash and the West girl are all right, just 'cause they're not scared to call the Snarts on their shit. Harry’s OK, he actually says what he means, no cryptic or subtle bullshit. Garrick and the detective, though, them I’d happily set on fire if I didn't think it’d make you cry.”

 

“Well, I'm glad my tears are good for something,” she snarked, making him snort.

 

“Around Garrick, keeping you happy is about 90% of my impulse control.”

 

She smacked his shoulder playfully. “He's not that bad.”

 

“You don't see the way he looks at you,” Mick growled with a dark scowl, hands that had fallen to rest loosely on her hips gripping a little tighter. “Like a cat watching a bird.”

 

“He does not,” she argued, her brow pinching in a confused frown.

 

“He does. When he thinks no one's lookin’.”

 

She arched an eyebrow at him. “This isn’t just because he and I almost had a thing, is it?” The only response to that was a flat, disdainful look. “Because you know I’m not interested in him anymore, right? ” she asked seriously, letting her concern creep into her voice. “I’m not going anywhere.” It pained her sometimes, how little Mick thought of himself. She looped her arms around his neck, feeling a small rush of affection at the way his eyes softened as she did, his lips curling up ever so slightly. It still thrilled her sometimes that she got to see this, that she got to see him drop his prickly, dangerous facade to show the sweet, playful, protective man she’d fallen in love with.

 

“I know, Snowflake, you’re all mine. I’m just not used to being the guy who’s got the girl everybody wants.” He kept talking over her attempt to protest. “Don’t even try, you’re goddamn beautiful and everyone knows it. White hair and all.” He emphasised his point by lightly carding his fingers through her snowy curls, which had been a sore spot for her since they’d discovered her hair wouldn’t hold dye anymore. She answered his compliment with a kiss, smiling against his mouth. “I’ll get over it,” he assured her when they separated. “Helps knowing the whole world can look but only I can touch,” he added with a suggestive smirk, his hands running down her back and leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

 

“Anyone else would lose their fingers to frostbite,” she pointed out. 

 

“Exactly,” he said with a wolfish grin. After a moment, his smile dropped back into a hard expression. “ Anyway, back to my point. You and the Flash’s crew, you fight the good fight, but you got enemies and a lifetime of being on the wrong side of the tracks means I got enemies. The last thing any of us should be doing is advertising our weak spots.”

 

“True. But we’re only weak when we’re isolated,” she countered. “We’re strongest when we’re together. When we’re a team.”

 

“Don’t mean we gotta make it easy for them,” he pointed out. She pursed her lips in annoyance at his stubbornness, but let the matter drop. Looking to change the subject, Mick decided to finally take a stab at the question that had had his stomach in anxious knots for days.

 

“Hey, you, uh, you feeling hungry yet?”

 

“Kinda,” she answered, a little confused since he knew she’d eaten a few days ago when he’d made an absolutely heavenly meal of massaman beef. “I could have a bite or two.” She became even more suspicious when he swallowed nervously.

 

“There’s, uh, there’s a night market running tonight, down by the dock. They usually got a lot of different food stands, all kinds of interesting stuff from around the world.” He wasn’t meeting her eyes as he spoke with a forced air of nonchalance. “Thought, since you can’t really have a proper meal, it might be, well, you could try tasters of lotsa different things. If you wanted.”

 

When he finally glanced up, it was to find Caitlin doing a fairly accurate impression of a gobsmacked goldfish. “Are you...are you asking me on a date?”

 

“That was the idea,” he admitted with a shrug, still looking uncomfortable. “If you wanted.” It was impossible to miss her suddenly elated expression.

 

“Yes, of course, I will absolutely go on a date with you.”

 

“Really?” he blurted out, his surprise falling away as she kissed him soundly. “ It won’t be fancy or nuthin’. ”

 

“That’s not the point. Besides,” she ducked her head a little shyly. “I’ve kinda been waiting for you to ask me.”

 

“Oh. Sorry.” Something that felt sickeningly like panic flashed across his face.

 

“Don’t be,” she appeased gently. “I had faith in you. And it’ll be nice to do something normal couples do.” She couldn’t contain the slight air of wistfulness at the end of her statement. Mick frowned slightly and cradled her jaw tenderly in the palm of one large hand.

 

“You know we’re never gonna be normal, right?” he asked gently. He had thought she understood that. Even without the complication of being metahumans, the trauma that had brought them together guaranteed they would never be a normal couple.

 

“I know,” she answered softly. “It’s just, with everything that we’ve been through, I thought it would be nice to just...pretend for a while.”

 

“Snowflake, we can do whatever you want,” he told her sincerely. Her face split into a happy little grin and she gave him a fast peck before vaulting off the couch. “Where you goin’?”

 

“To get ready,” she called down the hall.

 

“It’s just a market. You don’t have to get all dolled up.”

 

“I know, but it’s our first date so I’m going to do it anyway. And I like the stupid face you make when I make myself pretty.”

  
“You’re always pretty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I love Joe, Mick definitely does not, hence lumping him and Jay together.  
> Please excuse me while I go and untangle my mess of ideas. Feel free to add to the pile.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm surfing the Killerwave, mostly thanks to Bedside Manner.  
> Also its stupid-o'clock in the morning but my brain won't let me sleep unless I post this.


End file.
